SF police defend response to deadly domestic dispute

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police defend their handling of a domestic dispute where a man shot and seriously wounded his ex-girlfriend, before killing himself.

The incident took place at a building on Natoma Street, South of Market in San Francisco.

Police received four 911 calls in the hours that led up to the final, deadly encounter.

One witness said they her heard multiple shots.

"I just heard a gun, three shots," the witness said.

A young woman suffered a critical chest wounds and her ex-boyfriend, 29-year old Cedric Young Jr. was dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Based on the initial reports from the officers who were on the scene it did not appear that the boyfriend made threats, San Francisco police spokesman Gordon Shyy said. "The interactions between them were all cordial. There was no verbal arguing."

At 8:30 p.m., police received the first 911 call, but the victim hung up when it seemed the situation was resolved. At 9:15 p.m., she called again. Officers responded and persuaded the man to leave.

At 10 p.m., she made another call and young arrested the suspect for public intoxication. He stayed in jail for just a few hours. At 4 a.m. another 911 call from the woman. Police allowed the man to pack up some belongings and then watched him leave. At 5 a.m., the call came in that shots were fired.

"The police officer acted within policy. When they were able to make an arrest, they did. He was under the influence of alcohol in a public place, unable to care for himself. They made an under arrest and held him in the county jail for several hours," Shyy said. "It's unfortunate that he returned and committed this act later in the morning."

A neighbor said the young woman had recently apologized to them for previous disturbances and told them the ex-boyfriend was no longer allowed to live in the apartment.