San Francisco police fatally shot a suspect who crashed his car into the Chinese consulate on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred around 3:09 p.m. when the unidentified suspect drove their vehicle into the visa office of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China. The car came to a stop inside the consulate’s lobby.
Officers responded to the scene and made contact with the driver. An officer-involved shooting took place, resulting in the suspect being wounded. The suspect was taken to a local hospital but later died from their injuries. No one else was harmed during the incident.
Witnesses reported hearing 3 to 5 gunshots and stated that the driver was armed with a crossbow and two knives. Videos posted on social media showed a blue Honda Civic crashing through the front door of the consulate building.
One witness, Tony Xin, described the ordeal as “slightly traumatic” and said he was among the 20 people waiting to process their visa at the time of the incident. Xin saw the driver, who was dressed in a blue polo shirt and gray jeans with blood on his head, holding the knives and a crossbow. He also witnessed a security guard attempting to detain the driver. Xin and others managed to escape the building through the damaged doorway.
The San Francisco Police Department warned the public to avoid the vicinity of Geary Boulevard and Laguna Street due to the incident. City officials confirmed that there was a large police presence at the Chinese consulate.
The investigation into the incident involves multiple agencies and jurisdictions, and the police department is unable to provide further information at this time.
The Chinese consulate issued a statement condemning the violent attack and demanding a quick investigation to ascertain the truth and hold responsible parties accountable.
San Francisco police will hold a town hall within 10 days to provide an update on their investigation into the incident.