San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officers fatally shot the driver of a vehicle that crashed into the Chinese Consulate building in the city following a chaotic encounter.
The car reportedly rammed into the building shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Monday, based on a news release by the SFPD. Officials said that the vehicle crashed through the building's lobby, which was located in the Western Addition, near Japantown Peace Plaza and the Japan Center Mall.
Chinese Consulate Car Crash
The department added that one officer contacted the suspect after the crash and then he was quickly shot by law enforcement personnel. A social media post seems to show a blue Honda sedan that was stopped inside the Chinese Consulate building and people running out into the street.
Police said that the driver of the crashed car reportedly died after being transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The crash and subsequent shooting prompted officials to block off the intersection of Laguna Street and Geary Boulevard, as per San Francisco Gate.
The SFPD first alerted the public to "ongoing policy activity" in the area in a social media post that was made shortly before 4:00 p.m. Law enforcement authorities said that they are still investigating the incident and noted that the SFPD is working with the Chinese Consulate alongside U.S. State Department personnel.
One witness, a Stanford student, said that he saw the car driving into the building and heard the driver shouting, "Where's the CCP?" as he was exiting the vehicle. The student, who was identified as Sergii Molchanov, said that the incident was "quite terrifying and shocking to see."
Police Sgt. Kathryn Winters said during a short news conference that they did not know why the vehicle crashed into the building or how many people were inside at the time of the incident. However, she said that they did not receive reports of other injuries relating to the crash.
Winters said that she was hoping to share more information about the incident but noted that it was a very complex investigation. The Chinese Consulate General released a statement regarding the Monday incident where he denounced the car crash, according to ABC News.
Investigating the Incident
The consulate's statement noted that an unidentified person drove a vehicle on Oct. 9, 2023, and violently crashed into the document hall of the building. It added that it posed a serious threat to the safety of staff and people on site while also damaging the facilities of the consulate.
The general announced that they were severely condemning the violent attack on the Chinese Consulate and demanded more details about the crash. They are also asking for the situation to be dealt with seriously in accordance with the law.
During the confrontation between law enforcement personnel and the driver of the vehicle, there was reportedly a large presence outside of the Chinese Consulate. Witnesses at the scene said that they saw a man, who was bloody, being loaded into an ambulance and taken away to a hospital, said Fox News.
