The area of Fifth and Market Streets was the scene of a fatal police shooting this morning, after police say that officers who witnessed a stabbing in process opened fire on the suspect.

The SF Examiner reports that at a media briefing this afternoon, San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott said that the incident occurred on the 900 block of Market Street, which is between Fifth and Sixth Streets.

The incident began at about 11:20 a.m. when officers on patrol witnessed the stabbing in the 900 block of Market Street, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told reporters at the scene.

Scott provided few details about what led to the shooting, but confirmed the suspect shot by police has died. The victim of the stabbing was taken to a hospital, and that person’s condition was not immediately available.

According to the Chron, "A witness, Frank Ortiz, 58, told The Chronicle that he saw a police officer shoot a man in the chest on Market Street near Mason street."


In the course of the intervening, at least one officer discharged a weapon,” Scott said at the scene. “Despite the initiation of life-saving efforts, the shooting victim is dead.”

Scott said the stabbing “was in progress” when the officer fired at the attacker. The stabbing victim was transported to the hospital.

“These things, we really try to avoid them as much as we can, but we have a duty to protect the public,” said Scott, who was named police chief by Mayor Ed Lee about three months ago.

Police officers at the scene were seen attending to a man, whose face was covered in blood.

It was unclear if the shooting occurred on the street or inside a Subway sandwich shop on Market near Turk Street, where police and paramedics were seen going in and out.

CBS 5 reports that "A witness on the scene said that one person had been shot inside 940 Market Street, but so far police have confirmed no details."

Few details were added by a statement sent by SFPD at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Here it is, in full:

At approximately 11:22 AM, two uniformed SFPD officers were walking a footbeat on the 900 block of Market Street. The officers observed a white, male subject stabbing an Asian or Filipino male. The officers intervened and at least one officer discharged a firearm.

The person who was stabbed was transported to a hospital for treatment. Despite the initiation of lifesaving efforts on the scene, the second subject was pronounced deceased.

This incident is under investigation by the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions; the San Francisco District Attorney’s Independent Investigations Bureau; the Department of Police Accountability; and the Medical Examiner’s Office.

This is preliminary information and this remains an active and ongoing investigation.