Police fatally shoot man with replica gun in South SF who ran after trying to break into restroom

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGO) -- A man is dead at the hands of police after authorities said he ran away and then showed a fake gun in South San Francisco. This shooting is the second one involving an officer in South San Francisco in just a few weeks.

It happened near the Oyster Point Marina around 7 p.m. Wednesday when police say the man tried to break into a public bathroom. Investigators did not clear the scene until after 8 a.m. Thursday.

South San Francisco Police said they got calls Wednesday night that a man was acting erratically and was breaking into a public restroom.

Police said that when they got to the scene, the man ran off holding what looked like a firearm.

He ran through a busy area along a public trail.

Police said they tried to use less-lethal options to stop him but when that didn't work and when the man pointed that object at them, they fired.

Paramedics close to the scene tried to help him but he died at the scene. The weapon turned out to be a replica.

A video ABC7 viewed at the scene showed the moments before the shooting, filmed by someone who was there.

It appeared that the man was trying to get away from police while keeping his right hand hidden in his jacket. The video did not show the actual shooting or the replica gun police said he had.

MORE: Neighbor says deadly South SF police shooting was sparked by a tree trimming dispute

Thursday morning, fishers who come to the area arrived to find the police scene and learn about the news. Some are wondering about the man's condition leading up to the shooting.

"It's tragic things like this happen, I think mental illness is still a very big public problem," said Mav Vollmar, who came to fish at the marina. "I don't know what happened with the person who was shot, but it's sad anytime they lose their life."

This is the second deadly police shooting in South San Francisco in just the last few weeks.

The other happened on Arroyo Drive, where police say a man fired at them and into a home.

No officers were hurt in that shooting or Wednesday's.

The three officers involved Wednesday, two of them from the South San Francisco Police Department and one from the San Bruno Police Department, have been placed on administrative leave.

The California Department of Justice is handling the investigation. South San Francisco Police said Thursday morning that they are not doing interviews until further discussion with the California DOJ.