San Francisco police today released the name of a man who was injured in an officer-involved shooting last week that sparked destructive protests in the city’s Mission District.
At a community meeting about the shooting this morning, police Chief Greg Suhr identified the suspect as Oliver Barcenas, 22, of Richmond.
Barcenas survived the shooting and has charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer with an assault weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a banned assault weapon and participating in a criminal street gang, Suhr said.
Police said the shooting happened after two plainclothes officers from the department’s gang task force working with two probation officers saw two people they thought they recognized as gang members.
One of the officers attempted to talk to one of the two people, but that person ran away and the officer gave chase, police said.
Suhr said today that during the pursuit, Barcenas reached into his waistband and took out a TEC-9 gun.
The officer ordered him to drop the weapon, but Barcenas did not do so, police said. When Barcenas turned toward the officer with the gun in hand, the officer opened fire, police said.
The officer fired three shots, striking Barcenas twice, Suhr said.
The TEC-9 was loaded with 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition, police said.
Suhr said Barcenas is a recently paroled Norteno gang member and a potential third-strike candidate under California’s “three strikes” law.
The police chief made the remarks at an 11:30 a.m. town hall meeting held at the Cornerstone Church near 17th and Guerrero streets.
The meeting was organized in the wake of protests over the shooting in which vandals spray-painted the world “killers” on the Mission District police station at 630 Valencia St. and smashed the windows of a number of businesses.
A second meeting is planned for 6 p.m. today at the Good Samaritan Community Resource Center at 1294 Potrero Ave. Suhr will also attend that meeting.
Elsewhere: SF Police A.M. Presser Masquerades as ‘Town Hall’ [Petrelis]
Police Chief: Man Wounded by Officer Was Planning Retaliation [ML@L]
Zack Farmer, Bay City News
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