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Suspect Shot Dead By SF Police Was Convicted Child Rapist

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - A man shot dead by San Francisco Police in the Bayview district Saturday recently served time in Washington State's prison system for rape of a child, promotion of prostitution, and several other felony charges, CBS 5 has learned.

"That's the same guy who was killed," said Cpt. Mike Biel, commander of the San Francisco Police Department's investigations division, when CBS 5 reporter Joe Vazquez showed the captain an electronic copy of the rap sheet of 19-year old Kenneth Wade Harding. "We are told he is a 'person of interest' in the Seattle case," Biel said.

According to court documents from Seattle, Harding forced a 14-year old girl from a Seattle street in January, 2010, and drove her to another area where he commanded to get out and sell her body.

When the girl refused, Harding showed her a wad of cash and described it as "'ho' money," wrote Seattle Police Detective Dale Williams in the police report. The girl refused, insisting that she was not a prostitute.

Harding then threw her belongings out of his car and drove off, leaving her in an unfamiliar area, the police report said.

Police said Harding knew the girl and even had sex with her a year prior when she was 13 years old and he was 17. That sex act took place at Harding's house while he was under home detention for an armed robbery.

The shooting of Harding by police, the third police shooting in San Francisco since June, has caused an outcry among community members.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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