BART Officials Tight-Lipped On Fatal San Francisco Shooting
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Bay Area Rapid Transit officials have provided very little information about Sunday night's fatal officer-involved shooting on the San Francisco Civic Center station platform.
BART Deputy Police Chief Daniel Hartwig told reporters at a morning briefing at the transit agency's Oakland headquarters that investigators hope to learn the man's identity Tuesday.
He is believed to Caucasian and between the ages of 30 and 50, Hartwig said.
BART police said the victim, who has not yet been identified by the coroner's office, was "drunk and wobbly" and wielding a knife and broken bottle when he was shot and killed.
Investigators have interviewed the two officers who were involved in the incident but are not releasing details for fear of compromising the ongoing investigation.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
Hartwig said witnesses that have come forward have been helpful, but they are still looking to speak to others who were on the platform at the time of the shooting.
"We have requested that anyone who has any video or any information at all about this case to please contact our police," he said.
In total, there were about 30-40 people on the Civic Center platform when the shooting took place around 9:45 on Sunday night. Hartwig said there was very little time between when officers arrived and when they were confronted by the victim.
"It takes a minute in time but it may seem like five minutes for an officer," said Hartwig. "Decisions have to be made and they have to be made quickly. When you have a decision to make to utilize deadly force, there's not a time frame to do it. If it has to be done, (that decision) is made and it's done."
Medical personnel performed CPR on the man, who was shot in his front torso area. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where he was pronounced dead around 10:45 p.m.
The two officers have been placed on administrative leave. One of the officers involved in the shooting has been on the BART police force for six years, and the other for 18 months.
One of the officers was carrying a Taser at the time of the confrontation but did not use it, BART officials said.
Hartwig said BART has finished training all of its officers to use Tasers, and that all officers will be required to carry them starting Monday.
BART officers and San Francisco police are working on a joint investigation, which includes reviewing a surveillance recording that captured part of the confrontation.
BART officials will be releasing information on behalf of SFPD, he added.
Hartwig said he encourages witnesses to contact BART Criminal Investigations Division at (510) 464-7040. People with information can also contact San Francisco police at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 to remain anonymous.
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