A man who crashed his vehicle into the Chinese consulate in San Francisco late Monday evening was shot and killed by the police.
The man driving a Honda sedan crashed into the visa office and the area in front of the building. Soon after the crash, a heavy police presence descended, and the area was cordoned off, with the public being advised to avoid Laguna Street and Geary Boulevard.
Official details of the incident are still being gathered, with police saying that the motorist’s identity and the crash’s intent are not yet known. No other persons were reported injured in the incident.
Police added that despite life-saving efforts, the suspect was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Comments from Police
“I don’t know how many people were inside the visa office at the time of the collision,” San Francisco police department spokesperson Sgt Kathryn Winters told reporters at a media briefing a few hours after the incident.
Car crashes into the Chinese Consulate in #SanFrancisco #California
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) October 10, 2023
Everyone can be seen rushing out of the building as the police open #fire. #crash #Accidente pic.twitter.com/fAiOPSwRjE
“When officers arrived here on scene, they found the vehicle had come to rest inside the lobby of the Chinese consulate. Officers entered, made contact with the suspect and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” she added. “The suspect was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. This is an open and active investigation.”
The spokesperson also said that police were coordinating with investigators from the US State Department. “There’s very little information that we can give at this time.”
Comments from China
In its own statement, the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco condemned the attack, noting that an “unidentified person” had driven “violently into the document hall of the consulate, posing a serious threat to the safety of the staff and people at the scene, and causing serious damage to the facilities and property of the consulate.”
It went on to say that it “strongly condemns this violent attack and reserves the right to pursue responsibility for the incident.”
“Our embassy has made solemn representations to the US, demanding that the truth be quickly ascertained and dealt with seriously in accordance with the law,” it added.