Deputy SF police chief says officer stabbed at SFO is 'doing well'

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A veteran officer was stabbed at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday afternoon. The seasoned officer was responding to a call for a suspicious person walking in the roadway at Terminal 1.

RELATED: San Francisco police officer stabbed in baggage claim at SFO

It was inside Terminal 1 near a baggage claim that the officer located the suspicious man.

Deputy Chief Denise Schmitt says when the officer asked the man if everything was okay the man began swinging at the officer with a double-edged knife.

"In this case it happened so quickly the officer reacted with the weapons that he had in his hands and those were his hands," said Deputy Chief Schmitt.

The officer took down the man but got stabbed in the process.

"The officer, unfortunately, suffered a stab wound to his left leg, another stab wound to his hand and some other cuts but he's doing quite well," said Deputy Chief Schmitt.

A San Francisco General Hospital spokesperson says he's in good condition.

"The first thing he said to me at the scene when I asked him how he was doing was, 'Well I've had better days,'" said Deputy Chief Schmitt.

The Deputy Chief says the suspect, a man in his 40s, has injuries to his hands and is being medically evaluated in San Mateo County.

The officer has 23 years of experience and has worked at the Ingleside, Bayview and Tenderloin stations. He started working at the airport in September of 2003.

"I'm just thankful that he was there and did everything just textbook," said Deputy Chief Schmitt.

She also says the FBI was notified and said there was absolutely no link to terrorism.