If twitter is any indication, San Franciscans were concerned and dismayed on reports that two innocent bystanders were shot by SFPD officers pursuing a suspected drug dealer early Saturday near Broadway and Kearny. SFPD’s hoping to respond to some of those concerns tonight, at a town meeting.

wtf RT @javierest SFPD shoot 1st ask q’s l8r. “@sfappeal: SFPD Shoot Innocent Bystanders While Firing At Alleged Drug Dealer bit.ly/qB1ld4″Sun Sep 18 01:13:08 via webJacky Tran
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SFPD says that at 2 AM Saturday, two foot-patrolling officers saw 20-year-old Jesus Paredes Rodriguez engage in a narcotics transaction and saw him “in possession of marijuana.” Saying that Rodriguez “matched the description of a wanted suspect,” they approached him.

According to SFPD, Rodriguez fled, then pointed a semi-automatic pistol at them. The officers then fired at Rodriguez, missing him but hitting a bystanding man in the lower leg and a female bystander in the thigh. Rodriguez did not fire any shots, SFPD says.

According to the Ex, the injured woman “was released from San Francisco General Hospital on Saturday morning and the man was expected to follow suit later in the day.”

Police maintain that the shooting was warranted as the suspect was armed, saying in a statement that “the presence of such a weapon, and his willingness to point it at uniformed police officers, made him a significant threat to the public as well as the officers.”

According to SFPD, the officers (who have not been named) will be on administrative leave for 10 days while investigation is conducted “to determine whether protocol was followed” by units including the homicide detail, internal affairs, the DA, and the Office of Citizen Complaints.

Though the full circumstances of the shooting are still unclear, a community meeting has been planned for tonight at 6:30 PM at Jean Parker Elementary School, located at 840 Broadway.

Rodriguez is currently being held in SF County Jail for assault charges and weapons violations.

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the author

Always in motion. April Siese writes about music, takes photos at shows, and even helps put them on behind the scenes as a stagehand. She's written everything from hard news to beauty features, as well as fiction and poetry. She most definitely likes pie.

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