San Francisco police say suspect involved in Tenderloin standoff in custody, gun recovered

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A nearly four hour standoff between a man armed with a handgun and SFPD ended safely Wednesday night.

Acting San Francisco police Chief Toney Chaplin spoke about the incident at the police commission meeting. People there applauded Chaplin for the outcome of this incident. He says this is what officers have been training the last year and a half to do.

In his words, "the longer we delay these situations, the better they end," Chaplin said.

The nearly four hour standoff was filled with tense moments. There were bean bag shot, flash bangs and loud commands with one goal in mind. "The sanctity of human life above all, we would have stayed out here until tomorrow," Chaplin said.

Just after 2 p.m., SFPD responded to a man armed with a handgun in an altered mental state in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood at McAllister and Jones streets.

Sky7 HD showed the man shirtless belly down on the street.

The man told police he wanted them to take his life.

"The officers did what we've been training to do for the last 18 months and that is they created a safety pocket, they backed up, they created time," Chaplin said.

It was that time that enabled officers to de-escalate the situation while a vocal crowd gathered nearby.

"You have killed too many people already," said one bystander.

The man's family assisted negotiators. Officers secured the man's weapon and ammunition.

"He was hurt a little bit by some of the projectiles that had to be fired when he started clicking the gun," Chaplin said.

Mayor Lee commended SFPD and Acting Police Chief Chaplin saying, "In direct communication with me all afternoon he continually showed the judgment and prudence that resulted in a non-violent outcome."

Acting police Chief Chaplin apologized for being late to the police commission meeting. "He's not dead because of all the reforms we've already implemented," Chaplin said.

"That's what you should be doing that does not atone or account for years of carnage," said one person at the meeting.

When asked earlier on the scene if the man would be facing any charges Acting police Chief Chaplin said the man would first have a psychological evaluation.