Suspect recovering after being shot by off-duty officer in SF

SAN FRANCISCO -- An attempted robbery suspect is recovering today after an off-duty San Francisco police officer shot him in the city's Lower Nob Hill neighborhood early Wednesday morning, a police sergeant said.

The suspect, whose name is not yet being released, is expected to survive his injuries, according to San Francisco police Sgt. Monica MacDonald.

He is recovering in the hospital and has been arrested but not yet booked in connection with the incident that began shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday near Leavenworth and Pine streets, police said.

MacDonald said police received initial reports of gunshots heard in the area. Officers responded but were unable to find anyone with a gun or any evidence of a shooting.

The sergeant said a preliminary investigation revealed someone was trying to break into a car by smashing a window with a wooden stick, possibly a chair leg.

A passerby saw the male suspect and confronted him. The suspect then struck the passerby with the wooden object and robbed him, MacDonald said.

After not initially reporting the incident and going home to clean himself up, the same passerby was then walking to work when he saw an altercation inside Another Caf, a coffee shop at Leavenworth and Pine streets.

The same suspect allegedly threw coffee on someone inside the coffee shop and then exited, MacDonald said.

The suspect then went into a nearby apartment building on Leavenworth Street, where the off-duty police officer was exiting an apartment and encountered him, MacDonald said.

The suspect then tried to rob the officer, who identified himself and drew his weapon, the sergeant said.

The suspect refused to comply and told the officer that he would have to kill him, MacDonald said.

The officer holstered his handgun and the two became engaged in a physical struggle. The officer called for backup during the fight, during which the suspect struck the officer and bit him, MacDonald said.

The suspect then allegedly reached for the officer's gun and a struggle over the gun ensued. The firearm discharged once, striking the suspect in his upper torso, according to police.

MacDonald said on-duty police officers arrived and found blood all over the hallway inside the apartment building. After he was taken into custody, the suspect was transported to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

MacDonald said the off-duty officer, whose name is also not immediately being released, teaches defensive tactics at the department.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave, as is protocol in the wake of an officer-involved shooting, according to San Francisco police Officer Grace Gatpandan.