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Chief briefs commission on shootings, July 6 Tenderloin standoff and new DA notification policy
Summary
Chief Tony Chaplin updated the Police Commission on multiple shootings and a July 6 critical incident in the Tenderloin, described negotiation tactics and less‑lethal force use, and said the department will require the homicide lieutenant on scene to immediately notify the DA investigator in future critical incidents.
Police Chief Tony Chaplin told the San Francisco Police Commission on July 13 that recent incidents, including a multi‑hour July 6 standoff in the Tenderloin, were resolved without homicide and that the department is changing notification procedures after identifying lapses in DA contact.
In a detailed briefing the chief recounted three shooting incidents in the reporting period and then described the July 6 Tenderloin critical incident. Officers established a perimeter amid a growing crowd, attempted less‑lethal interventions and deployed the hostage negotiation team and the special operations arrest team. The department used LRAD as a distraction during the arrest team's approach and ultimately took the subject into custody at about 5:40 p.m.; officers recovered a revolver from the subject and transported him to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment.
On an earlier officer‑involved shooting the chief acknowledged a delay in DA notification, saying the on‑call DA investigator arrived about 90 minutes after the incident. To address that gap, the department will require the homicide lieutenant physically on scene to immediately contact the on‑call DA investigator to ensure timely notification in future critical incidents.
Commission members asked about an armored vehicle reported at the scene (a "BearCat"); the chief said the vehicle is an armored platform intended to provide officer protection and has no independent shooting capability. Commissioners also discussed recognizing officers who used de‑escalation and restraint in hazardous responses.
Chief Chaplin reported that the city had recorded 26 criminal homicides to date in 2016, compared with 24 at the same point in 2015. He described the July 6 response as an example of multiple tactics (negotiation, less‑lethal munitions, LRAD, and a dedicated arrest team) producing a nonlethal outcome.
The Commission asked for documentation of the new DA‑notification procedure and requested follow‑up reporting on the department's efforts to shorten forensic turnaround times and to expand crisis intervention team staffing and training.
