San Francisco police today released the names of the officers involved in Sunday’s shooting at 17th and Valencia streets in the parking lot of the Mission Police Station.
Sgt. Michael Serujo and Sgt. Nicolas Pena of the Mission Police Station and Officer Sean Padilla of the Central Police Station shot 32-year-old Matthew Hoffman during an incident in which he entered and wouldn’t leave a parking lot restricted to police, according to police.
Hoffman was armed with a toy airsoft pistol, which shots pellets rather than bullets. After his death, investigators found several suicide notes, including one written to the officers who shot him.
Hoffman wrote, “I provoked you. I threatened your life as well as the lives of those around me. You were completely within your legal rights to do what you did.”
Hoffman entered the parking lot of the police station at about 5:20 p.m. Numerous signs indicate the parking lot is off limits to the public.
Police said they asked Hoffman to leave. He started to leave but then turned around and stared at officers as they were getting ready to leave in their vehicles.
Officers asked him again to leave and he began backing out of the parking lot with his hands in his pockets.
Police told Hoffman to show his hands and he lifted up his shirt revealing what appeared to be the butt of a gun.
Hoffman drew the toy gun from his waistband and the officers drew their weapons and fired, hitting him three times.
He was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital.
No one else was injured in the shooting.
Hannah Albarazi and Keith Burbank, Bay City News
