UPDATE: Police Shoot, Kill Armed Suspect Outside International Terminal at SFO
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CBS SF) -- Police officers shot and killed an armed suspect Thursday morning outside San Francisco International Airport's International Terminal near the entrance to the BART station.
A bystander was injured in the shooting by a bullet ricocheting and was hospitalized.
Airport spokesman Doug Yakel told KPIX 5 police responded at about 7:30 a.m. to reports of an individual exhibiting threatening behavior at the BART station entrance in the international terminal.
Police later confirmed that they had received multiple 911 calls reporting "a suspicious individual" in the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport.
"SFPD officers responded and the individual brandished two firearms, at which time the officers attempted to deescalate the situation. This included attempts to use non-lethal measures," said SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel.
Officers opened fire after the individual advanced in a threatening way toward officers, Yakel said. Police officers rendered aid to the man and summoned medics, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
A person experiencing homelessness was hit in the leg by a bullet and was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Neither individual has been identified by authorities. Police said the incident with the armed man was not linked to an act of terrorism.
"At this point in the investigation, there's no indication of this incident being involved in terrorism, like the individual came to commit some type of act of terrorism," said SFPD Officer Grace Gatpandan. "It's contained to this particular event."
Yakel said a Transportation Security Administration worker first noticed the person acting suspiciously and alerted authorities.
"This really began with a TSA employee that noticed an individual that was displaying some behavior that was concerning, and we always preach the mantra of, 'If you see something, say something' to report suspicious behavior," said Yakel. "That TSA officer did exactly what we expected him to do, reported some behavior that didn't look right and got the right resources there to address the situation."
The SFO BART station has since reopened following a station closure during the incident. SamTrans provided bus shuttles between Millbrae station and SFO during the station closure.
"In terms of airport operational impact. BART service to SFO was briefly suspended during this incident. We also routed passengers away from the affected area," Yakel said.
SFPD Officer Grace Gatpandan said the officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the SFPD Internal Affairs Division, the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA) and the County of San Mateo Coroner's Office as is standard procedure.
The California Department of Justice will conduct an investigation and independent review of an officer-involved shooting at San Francisco International Airport Thursday morning, according to an announcement made by state Attorney General Rob Bonta.
After being notified by local law enforcement authorities, the state Department of Justice's California Police Shooting Investigation Team for Northern California was deployed to the scene of the shooting. Once the investigation is completed, it will be turned over to the state Department of Justice's Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review.
Gatpandan said additional information will be released as it becomes available. The San Francisco Police Department will hold a public town hall on the officer-involved shooting within ten days as part of department's commitment to transparency and accountability.
