According to police, they found the suspect, a white man who appeared to be in his 40s, breaking into the restroom and attempted to contact him, asking him to identify himself.
He reportedly fled, running along a busy public trail while holding “what appeared to be a firearm,” according to police.
“Officers attempted to subdue the suspect using less-lethal force, which proved ineffective,” the South San Francisco Police Department said in a press release. After the suspect pointed the apparent gun at officers, “two officers from the South San Francisco Police Department and one officer from the San Bruno Police Department discharged their service weapons.”
Medical personnel from South San Francisco’s fire department were standing by to assess the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. After the incident, the apparent gun was found to be a replica.
The department has not released the man’s identity.
The shooting is being investigated by the California Department of Justice and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, per department policy.
It was the second fatal shooting involving South San Francisco police in the last month. On April 28, officers shot and killed Brian Montana, 60, after seeing him firing a gun into a home on the 300 block of Arroyo Drive. Police said that Montana, armed with multiple firearms, shot at officers for about 25 minutes before two officers fatally shot him.
Those officers were also placed on administrative leave, and the case is also under investigation.
