A brutal stabbing of a 44-year-old British man near the intersection of Franklin and Post on February 18 has become a homicide, and the SFPD is now seeking the public's help in apprehending the suspect. To that end, they've released some grainy surveillance footage of the attack, which you can view below via Facebook, and they report that Paul Tam, of Manchester, England, succumbed to his wounds on Thursday, March 24, five weeks after the incident.
Per the Examiner, Tam spent the last five weeks in critical condition at SF General.
As reported earlier, and as you can see in the video, this was a robbery gone bad in which Tam refused to let go of a messenger bag, and his attacker then chases him into the middle of the street where he ultimately stabs him in the head. After Tam is seen lying prone in the street, the suspect grabs his bag and flees.
The bag reportedly held Tam's wallet, phone, and passport.
The suspect is described as a "black adult male approximately 5’10” with a heavy build last seen wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans." He is said to be in his 30's or 40's. The suspect also had a female accomplice in her 20's, who's described as "approximately 5’4” with long dreadlocks or braids up in a ponytail."
#SFPD Seek Public's Help in Locating UK Tourist Homicide Suspects.On Thursday, February 18, 2016 at approximately 8:30 PM, a male and female victim were attacked during a street robbery on Post Street, between Franklin and Gough Street. During the course of the robbery, the male victim was attacked with a weapon. The two robbery suspects fled the scene on foot. On Thursday, March, 24 2016, the victim succumbed to his injuries and died. The victim was a 44 year old man who was a tourist from the United Kingdom. Video evidence was recovered that captured the brutal murder. Preliminary suspect descriptions are: -Black adult male approximately 5’10” with a heavy build last seen wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans -Black adult female approximately 5’4” with long dreadlocks or braids up in a ponytail. SFPD Homicide Investigators are seeking the assistance of the public to identify the outstanding suspects. Please contact investigators if you were in the area of the crime near the time of the crime, observed any suspicious activity, or if you have information regarding the identity of the suspects. Please contact Sgt. Chris Canning at the Homicide Detail during business hours at 415-553-1145, anonymously at the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or tex-a-tip to TIP411 with SFPD at the start of the message.
Posted by San Francisco Police Department on Friday, March 25, 2016
The crime, which occurred at 8:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening, was witnessed both by a passing motorist, as shown in the video, and by Tam's niece, who had come to see him from Southern California and was walking with him at the time of the attack. She was not injured.
As the Manchester Evening News reports, Tam, an IT expert, had come to San Francisco to pursue new career opportunities, and was staying in a hotel at the time of the attack. They believe he also had other family in the Bay Area besides the niece, who was visiting from Irvine.
At the time of the crime we learned that the SFPD found a scarf at the scene that might belong to the female accomplice. Also, former sheriff Ross Mirkarimi took the opportunity to call for something he has called for often in his political career, which is more street patrols by the SFPD. "There needs to be more of a community policing presence throughout San Francisco. Tourists find every nook and cranny in the city."
Anyone with information about the suspect and his accomplice are asked to contact Sgt. Chris Canning in the Homicide Department during business hours at 415-553-1145, or you can leave an anonymous tip at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 with SFPD at the start of the message.
Update: The SF Police Officers' Association is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.
Previously: Tourist Fights For Life After Knife Attack
