Prosecutors Won't File Charges In 2 Fatal San Francisco Police Shootings
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — San Francisco prosecutors, following an investigation into two separate officer-involved shootings, will not file charges against the San Francisco Police Department officers involved in those shootings, which took place in 2014 and 2015.
On Oct. 7, 2014 at about 9 p.m., Officer David Goff was alone on foot as he approached an Infiniti parked near 448 Bryant Street.
Police had been investigating auto burglaries in the area and officers were watching the Infiniti that was allegedly dropping off and picking up two people. Police believed that the occupants of the Infiniti were casing cars.
Officers saw the suspects break a car window, remove a bag and go back to the Infiniti.
As Goff approached the Infiniti to arrest the suspects and one of the suspects allegedly pointed a gun at Goff.
Prosecutors said Goff opened fire on the occupants, killing Oshaine Evans and injuring another suspect.
Prosecutors said following their investigation insufficient evidence exists to file criminal charges against Goff because he reasonably believed he was facing imminent threat of death or great bodily injury.
The gun Evans allegedly had was not loaded, but no evidence exists to suggest Goff knew that when he shot Evans. Prosecutors said rather evidence exists indicating Goff believed he was in grave danger.
Prosecutors have also cleared three police sergeants of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of Matthew Hoffman, who two of the sergeants shot on the evening of Jan. 4, 2015, in the parking lot of the Police Department's Mission District police station.
Investigators concluded that sergeants Michael Serujo, Nicolas Pena and Thomas Johnson acted in self-defense and in the defense of others when two of them shot Hoffman, who later died from his injuries.
The three sergeants were leaving the parking lot of the station at 630 Valencia St. when they found Hoffman allegedly trespassing in the lot.
Hoffman allegedly refused to leave, hid his hand under his sweatshirt and became confrontational with the sergeants after they repeatedly told him to leave the property.
Prosecutors said that Hoffman allegedly pulled what appeared to the officers to be a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the sergeants, prompting Serujo and Pena to open fire.
Prosecutors said police later learned that the "gun" Hoffman pointed at the sergeants was a Colt Defender airsoft BB gun that had allegedly been modified to look like a real gun.
According to prosecutors, Hoffman allegedly had three suicide notes on his phone. One was addressed to the officers, absolving them for killing him because he wanted to commit suicide.
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