San Mateo County Times/Eric Kurhi, 3/19/14. "Pacifica: Erratic-acting man shot, killed after stabbing SWAT team member."
"PACIFICA -- A man was shot and killed by officers Tuesday (3/18/14) evening after he stabbed a SWAT team member as the squad rushed into a San Pedro Avenue home following a six-hour standoff that started when family members reported the suspect acting erratically shortly before noon, police said.
Pacifica police were called
to the 300 block of San Pedro Avenue when family members said the
34-year-old man was in the backyard exhibiting paranoid behavior,
possibly armed with an ax. Read article.
Related updated articles - San Francisco Chronicle/Henry K. Lee, 3/19/14. "Pacifica man shot in police standoff is ID'd" "(03-19) 15:20 PDT PACIFICA -- "A 34-year-old man was shot and killed by a Daly City police SWAT team in Pacifica after he stabbed an officer at the end of a six-hour standoff, authorities said. The incident began shortly before noon Tuesday when Pacifica police were summoned to a home on San Pedro Avenue by family members who reported that Errol Chang was "displaying paranoia behavior" and was possibly armed with an ax, said Pacifica police Capt. Joe Spanheimer. .... Court records show Chang was convicted of felony theft for an incident at San Francisco International Airport in 2008. He was sent for psychiatric treatment at Napa State Hospital for several months before he was placed on three years of probation."
San Mateo Times/Erin Ivie, 3/20/14. "Pacifica man shot by police hours after release of new officer-involved shooting protocol." ...."Three family members, two men and a woman, stood outside and told police that Chang may have had access to a rifle and ammunition, and neighbors' homes were evacuated as a precaution. Police tried to communicate with him, at one point throwing a phone into the residence and talking through a public address system. .... The Daly City officer who shot Chang was placed on paid administrative leave per department protocol, authorities said. The incident remains under investigation by Wagstaffe's office, with cooperation from Pacifica and Daly City police."
Related - Full photographs and video direct from Ski-epic.
Related updated articles - San Francisco Chronicle/Henry K. Lee, 3/19/14. "Pacifica man shot in police standoff is ID'd" "(03-19) 15:20 PDT PACIFICA -- "A 34-year-old man was shot and killed by a Daly City police SWAT team in Pacifica after he stabbed an officer at the end of a six-hour standoff, authorities said. The incident began shortly before noon Tuesday when Pacifica police were summoned to a home on San Pedro Avenue by family members who reported that Errol Chang was "displaying paranoia behavior" and was possibly armed with an ax, said Pacifica police Capt. Joe Spanheimer. .... Court records show Chang was convicted of felony theft for an incident at San Francisco International Airport in 2008. He was sent for psychiatric treatment at Napa State Hospital for several months before he was placed on three years of probation."
San Mateo Times/Erin Ivie, 3/20/14. "Pacifica man shot by police hours after release of new officer-involved shooting protocol." ...."Three family members, two men and a woman, stood outside and told police that Chang may have had access to a rifle and ammunition, and neighbors' homes were evacuated as a precaution. Police tried to communicate with him, at one point throwing a phone into the residence and talking through a public address system. .... The Daly City officer who shot Chang was placed on paid administrative leave per department protocol, authorities said. The incident remains under investigation by Wagstaffe's office, with cooperation from Pacifica and Daly City police."
Related - Full photographs and video direct from Ski-epic.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
48 comments:
Very sad. If he did stab the officer they had every right to use deadly force.
Hutch,
Whatever happened to protect and serve?
There are ways to subdue a violent person without causing injury to the person or the police.
This trend of judge, jury & executioner isn't the ethos this country, least of all Pacifica should be striving for
I like how a person that's afraid to use their real name is going to tell a cop he should have been braver and taken one and his buddies not protect him.
They could have shot him in the backyard when he was brandishing an axe. No they waited 6 hours. Tried everything to get him to give up. When police found out he may have access to a gun they decided to go in for the safety of the neighbors.
I'd like to see what you would do in that situation.
A paranoid schizophrenic, a SWAT team, a flash-bang grenade, and they have every right to use deadly force because a mentally ill person reacted by trying to stab them?
What about de-escalating tactics. What about tasers and tranquilizing darts? What about police officers trained to deal with mentally ill people?
No, we'll send in the SWAT team and throw a grenade, then bust in with guns a-blazing.
It's remarkable that we can stun lions and tigers and bears into submission so that they may be safely handled, but we have to kill human beings. And it sounds like this man was disturbed. Where's the compassion and where the hell is the technology law enforcement needs in order to take these encounters out of the dark ages? Aren't we better than this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tEKGppG5Cw
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ski-epic.com%2F2014_harold%2Findex.html&h=aAQEF5hmO
This is a travesty. I live here in Pacifica. I train privately with swat, police, civilians, ex force recon, ex spec ops etc... I say this because I know from the police and swats own mouths that they are highly under-trained. Police academy is garbage taught by some rulebook that does nothing to actually prepare you for high stress situations and nothing that sets the standards high. Nothing that teaches proper muscle memory. The police I train with do so out of their own time and pay for it themselves. The departments themselves do not train for this sufficiently at all. Sure they can have range time all they want, but that does zero. I mean zero. 1 out of every 20 shots fired by Law Enforcement hits the intended target, that number can be debatable but it is close. Anyway, here is a guy who was in trouble, yes, he didn't do things the way most of us would, yes. But deserved of death?? no. The Pacifica police had to call swat?? wow. tasers, tear gas, or how about... time? as in patience, what is the rush? did he have hostages? no. did he hurt anybody? no - of course unless you count the knife incident once swat stormed HIS house. He may have had a gun? ok, did he use it? no, Did he have it when he was waving his arms from the windows? no. The police assumed and someone died. And that assumption was based on someone else's assumption that he MIGHT have a gun and ammo. Who was in charge of this outfit??? If police and swat were trained at the high standards they ought to be this would have never happened the way it did. The police were in a rush, they freaked out. Mentally they were not prepared and stooped to low inexcusable standards and killed a man who had not hurt anyone and was in his own house. They made assumptions and took a mans life. Yes the victim had problems, but to the point of taking his life? No, Not at all. Now let me stand up for the police, they have to train outside of the department to get proper training, they have to pay for it by themselves. This is also a travesty. It's sad when I run a course and I'm out gunning, out shooting, out maneuvering, and am simply at a higher standard than the police themselves. This is budgeting, this is ignorance, this is having priorities backwards. The problem is the police don't know how under-trained they are until they are in the moment. When in combat you never rise to the occasion, you fall back on your level of training. In this case the level of training on many levels was way too low and an innocent man lost his life.
To everyone who says the police were just doing their job and Errol stabbed one of them so they were only defending themselves. You do realize this happened in his home and the police had no reason to enter that way. Sit and wait outside, a mans life is worth it. Tear gas him, use a damn taser when you had him the first time before calling swat. Use the dog you had on scene. Use a robot. etc... Whoever is in charge of calling the shots on this one let this get out of control and does not possess the proper leadership skills nor foresight to handle a high stress environment. This was a very controlled, no threat except assumptions situation. No one was hurt, he was alone, no hostages nothing. The police forced the outcome.
SF had several police shootings of mentally ill persons before they learned how to better handle the situation. Sure way to outrage the public and get sued by the families. Six hours? Any mental health professionals consulted? Seems a natural question for Council to ask.
What was the big hurry? Is this what we can expect in these situations?
Council, grow a pair. Make that change and do it now.
1116,1117 the article about the 6 hour stand-off reads quite different from your amazing private video, sound and photographs taken of the event.
The articles indicate there were guns in the house, the family left the house, and there was an unwillingness of Errol Chang to walk out, which may have contributed to the tragic result.
If Chang was paranoid, the constant yelling for him to come out of the house might have aggravated his confusion.
1145 questioned whether mental health professionals were consulted, any present? What happened during the long six hours for this tragedy to unfold. From the outside, we don't quite understand. The article indicates neighbors were evacuated, and the police might not have known to what extent Chang might be dangerous. In the 1117 Facebook photographs, we see Chang with his hands up, and if he was trying to give-up what interrupted that?
1118, and 1122 offer insight into police professionals not being highly trained to manage such a crisis. Outstanding question, but for the necessary benefit of public safety that does seem unacceptable. And good point, 1145 and 1159, City Council (and police coordination) should review what happened in managing this event leading to a tragedy. Here's City Council phone numbers and emails.
Talk about being judge, jury and executioner. Can you wait for the facts before automatically assuming the police are in the wrong.
People keep staying he was mentally ill like that makes him meek and mild. Newtown, Aurora, Gloria Giffords etc., were all mentally ill. Schizophrenics CAN be extremely dangerous and deadly.
To me it looks like police exhausted every option. Waiting six hours to go in and resisting several opportunities to use deadly force. They are here to protect and serve. If they had information that the man had access to a gun then they did what they had to do and went in to protect the neighborhood. The man stabbed an officer. Were they supposed to wait until he killed one until they shot?
Can you at least wait until the facts are in until passing judgement?
Try emailing or calling city council members. They never respond.
The local nut jobs are all complaining about the police. Oh why did they have to shoot him.
Lets see he was mentally ill, had a weapon(axe and gun) and the house was a pot grow operation. Him and his dad were busted for pot in the city.
Hutch, quick using the rip tide manta of "annon" posted.
He had a weapon (ax) in his own house and he used it on who?? yes he used it once swat stormed a paranoid mans house but what granted swat to storm his house?? watch the vids and look at the pics that were posted earlier.
http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/pacifica-friends-question-police-shooting-of/vCTgGM/
11:18 I doubt very much you are a professional or train police here in Pacifica or anywhere. If you were you would wait for the facts instead of jumping to judgement. And it wouldn't be too hard to figure out who you are.
This was a tragedy. But the man was far from harmless. He stabbed a police officer
Hutch said...11:18 "I doubt very much you are a professional or train police here in Pacifica or anywhere. If you were you would wait for the facts instead of jumping to judgement. And it wouldn't be too hard to figure out who you are.
This was a tragedy. But the man was far from harmless. He stabbed a police officer."
Watch the videos and look at the photographs. A single human being was outnumbered, outgunned and apparently trying to work though a means to end the incident as is shown by his hands up with no weapon in them.
Clearly this requires deep review. And yes, finding out more about the facts and not making assumptions. That includes not assuming that the training and resulting actions of the law enforcement officers isn't without need for scrutiny.
I have respect for the work of law enforcement, however this seems to have gone very wrong.
Good grief! Off and running the wrong way. When posters say the man was mentally ill or disturbed it's doubtful they are implying he was harmless. They are saying that someone with professional psych training should have been on scene and during a 6 hour siege there was ample time to find such a person. No mention of that expertise on scene so far and some anecdotal info that the man was known to be disturbed. Lots of questions here and mine is what was the big hurry? Neighbors evacuated and the man was in his home. The police seem to have precipitated the violent end. A line from Hutch is such a sad and chilling commentary "...and resisting several opportunities to use deadly force." Resist an opportunity! A little freudian there? But God help us all if the cops see killing a man as an opportunity they have to resist.
Call me crazy, but I expect the police to collectively and institutionally be smarter, more humane and more resourceful than the alleged criminals. Not seeing that here.
Maybe they should have gave him a box of crayons and a coloring book and ask him to talk about his feelings.
This city has neither the ability nor the public trust to investigate this incident.
Riptide has links to a video taken from outside the home and the police report by Pacifica Police. That report states the incident is being investigated by PPD, DCPD and the SMC District Attorney.
"Officers found Chang in the backyard, but he refused to obey their commands and brandished the ax at them, Spanheimer said. He said officers were told by Chang's relatives that he may have had access to a rifle and ammunition hidden in the house, Spanheimer said."
The officers showed a lot of patience. He may have had a gun. The guy stabbed a cop. I don't blame them one bit for protecting themselves. Just think how you would feel if that cop that was stabbed was your loved one. Would you want his buddies to defend his life?
Let the damn DA investigate. You can't tell what really happened from some video or pictures.
145 As an alternative to killing him? You do have a sensitive side!
Sad day for Pacifica. An all-time low. Our police are to be feared. That may be music to some ears, but it is not an American ideal. That fear has no place in a free society.
It was not a Pacifica Police officer that shot and killed the man 329. Can people stop spreading rumors?
Hutch, admirable restraint, at least you didn't say they rushed it because they were trying to avoid OT or dinner was on the table.
Sounds like the Swat team fired 8 shots
417 Read 329 for content. I don't think the Chang family cares which city payroll was involved and neither should we. It happened here. PPD called in DC Swat. Things sure didn't get better from that point.
The house was a drug den. A pot grow house. This guy and his dad got busted growing in the city, and moved the grow house to Pacifica. Cars pulling up to the house at all hours of the night.
Ok, 529, which is it? The cops killed him because he pulled a knife or because he lived in a house where you allege weed was used and sold? You seeing this as a wake up call for all those crack houses in Pacifica?
Can any one verify this? Commenters on the San Mateo Times story mention the Pacifica police were first called to the home because Errol Chang's dog attacked another dog on LMBeach. One or both dogs were off-leash. Police went to the home for that reason just before noon and things went downhill from there. Any one know if the dog story is accurate? No mention in the police report on line. Plenty of links to video among story comments on SFGate. Draw your own conclusions.
Hope this link works -
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21599359-no-knock-raids-assault-weapons-and-armoured-cars-americas-police-use-paramilitary-tactics-too
Pacifica u save liquors robbed today!
So much for no crime in Pacifica!
Oh yeah, Sinai, that link works. The militarization of a domestic police force. Quite a concept. Perhaps a signpost on the way to a truly nightmarish America. What countries are we emulating by encouraging a police force that strikes fear in the citizenry? Where's the common sense and restraint?
Plenty of booze left. Don't nobody call the cops.
Anonymous on 3/20, 8:02pm said...
Pacifica u save liquors robbed today! So much for no crime in Pacifica!"
Believe this story to be two days old. Pacifica PD issued an alert for a robbery that took place on 3/18. Incorrectly posted on Patch today as "breaking news".
Patch was outsourced to an office building in Livermore.
Oh and 7-11 in Manor was robbed twice recently.
And the Capistrano meth lab/chop shop wrecking yard is back in operation.
City Hall is useless trying to stop this.
Sounds like the police provoked the stabbing. It is a system that feeds off of itself.
The police followed protocol. This is a tough one. The guy probably didn't understand the difference between right n wrong, reality and fiction. But the police had a duty to protect citizens, themselves and the man they had to shoot. They could not leave him in that house with a gun any longer.
All that fancy equipment should include cameras to record the proceedings. I think we'd see a decline in these police incidents that "go horribly wrong".
Sure they could 1216. And too soon to tell if a protocol was followed or if the protocol needs work. Your bias clouds your thinking. Very obvious.
I just talked to a good friend of the family. They said that the son had threatened to kill the mother and father. They also said Erols was always in trouble for theft ect. The parents were at wits end.
You can't understand how hard this disease is on families.
231 Some peoples hatred and distrust of police clouds their thinking.
Naivete can get you or someone else killed. That ain't Andy and Barney rolling up in that armored vehicle.
Post a Comment