The crimes below are a small snapshot of what the officers of Northern Station are doing. For a more comprehensive list, visit www.sf-police.org; under Compstat, there is a link to CrimeMAPS.
THE JUMPER’S FIVE MINUTES
Friday, March 1, 6:04 p.m.
2200 block of Van Ness
A store employee called police to report that she had just been robbed at gunpoint. She was working behind the front counter of the business when a male subject entered the store, jumped over the counter and pointed a silver handgun at her, demanding “Give me the money.”
Fearing for her life, the victim did what she was told by the gunman. After taking the money from the cash register, the robber also took the store clerk’s cell phone and a bank deposit envelope with cash, and he ran out of the store.
The cell phone allowed the police officers to track the criminal for a few minutes, until the subject turned off the phone. Officers collected evidence at the store, including what appeared to be hand- and fingerprints left on the counter when the robber jumped over it. They also collected video evidence of the incident.
Within just five minutes, Northern Station plainclothes officers saw someone nearby fitting the description, and they detained him. After the victim positively identified him (“That’s him, I recognize him by his face and body structure”), the subject was booked.
ONE-WOMAN ARSENAL
Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m.
Lyon at Greenwich
Officers responded to a call that a burglary was in progress. The caller told them there was an unknown woman in the home, and the intruder was still inside when officers arrived. The officers learned the woman had a shotgun, so they immediately set up a perimeter around the building and attempted unsuccessfully to get the woman to leave the apartment.
At one point, the suspect was visible in a window holding the shotgun. Officers requested additional assistance, and hostage negotiators and a specialist team responded. As the new forces prepared to take action, the woman walked out of the apartment — a hatchet in one hand and a shotgun in the other. Officers got her to drop the weapons, and she was taken into custody and transported to the hospital. She was later booked at County Jail for several felony violations.
CAUGHT HOLDING THE EVIDENCE
Monday, March 4, 3:30 p.m.
500 Block of Hayes
Officers responded to a report of a theft at a local business. The manager, who had chased the suspect, told the officers that he had been in the back stockroom when the suspect stole the items. When the manager confronted the suspect, he was holding the clothing items that had been taken. The suspect was taken into custody and placed under arrest.
WEED, COCAINE, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Tuesday, March 5, 12:30 a.m.
Vallejo at Franklin
Plainclothes officers spotted an illegally parked vehicle, occupied by a male and a female. The officers made contact with the occupants and noticed a bottle of alcohol in a bag on the passenger’s lap — which the passenger quickly put on the floor of the car. The passenger told the officers there was marijuana in the bag and they were planning to smoke it. The passenger gave the officers the bag, in which the officers found cocaine and marijuana. During a search of the vehicle, officers located more suspected cocaine. The passenger was placed under arrest; the driver was identified and released at the scene.
AGGRAVATION
Thursday, March 7, 2:05 p.m.
Larkin at Olive
An officer on patrol spotted a subject sitting on the sidewalk of an alley with a needle in his hand, shooting up. The officer spoke with the subject, who told him he was on parole but became very confrontational when the officer asked for his name. The subject threatened to shoot and kill the officer and he took a fighting stance; the officer requested backup. When the additional officers arrived, the subject was taken into custody without incident.
A computer check showed the man to be on active parole, and while at the station, he told the officers that he would remember their faces and he was going to destroy them. He also spit at them and yelled obscenities and further threats at them. He was booked on felony threats charge and a parole hold was placed on him.
NANCY DREW
Friday, March 8, 1:30 p.m.
McAllister at Van Ness
A woman riding a bus was pushed out of the way by a couple of suspects who had just gotten on the bus. The victim said one of the suspects reached her hand into the victim’s purse and removed the wallet.
The suspects got off the bus, but the victim followed them and called 911. When officers responded and met with the victim, she pointed out the suspects; the officers recovered the victim’s wallet and the two suspects were placed under arrest.
And ANOTHER BURGLARY
Thursday, March 14, 3:45 a.m.
Franklin at Hickory
A private security alarm company called about a possible burglary in progress. The caller had seen via a live camera feed someone in the building. Officers responded, and one of them located a door that appeared to have been pried open. As the officers quickly set up a perimeter around the building, the suspect walked out of the building and was immediately detained. Officers searched the building for additional intruders and found several burglary tools belonging to the suspect, as well as several interior doors that had pry mark damages on them.
The suspect, who was already on felony probation for burglary, was booked on numerous felony charges and a probation hold was placed on him.
