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SF Police shoot teen five times after chasing him down for not paying bus fare

published by Tom Sullivan on Wed, 2011-07-20 21:29

The San Francisco Police Department defended itself Monday against claims two cops fatally shot an unarmed man in the Bayview district last weekend, releasing evidence suggesting the suspect had first fired at them.

Kenneth Harding, 19, of Seattle was killed while fleeing from two cops conducting a Muni fare inspection near the Third Street and Oakdale Avenue stop. His death sparked outrage among people who watched the videotaped aftermath of the incident, some of whom say police shot an unarmed man and refused to let anyone near him as he bled to death.

But at Monday’s news conference, police Chief Greg Suhr presented evidence indicating Harding fired the first shot as he ran through the crowded Mendell Plaza. The evidence included results of a ShotSpotter gunshot-location system used to determine when and where firearms are discharged.

According to data from ShotSpotter — which was deployed in the Bayview in 2008 — three separate firearms unloaded 10 shots over six seconds. The first shot was one of two fired from where Harding was located, police said. Two to six seconds later, eight more shots were fired from where the officers were located.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner
Tags: 
UNITED STATES
MURDER
POLICE STATE

Comments

Submitted by andie531 on Wed, 2011-07-20 23:12.

Witnesses later told police they saw Harding shoot at cops and that a passer-by picked up his .45-caliber pistol and walked away with it. Suhr said video posted on YouTube shows a person picking up the gun after a crowd surrounded Harding’s body.

The chief said the gun was eventually recovered through tips that led officers to a Bayview home. Suhr said police are confident the gun was Harding’s, but are conducting ballistics and DNA testing.

Kenneth Harding, the 19-year-old killed by San Francisco police Saturday, was a pimp accused of making an underage girl perform oral sex on him and later convicted of demanding that girl to earn him “ho’ money” in Seattle, court documents show.

Harding, a Seattle resident, was fatally shot by two cops in the Bayview after he fired at them, police said. He had been detained for allegedly evading a Muni fare about 4:45 p.m. near Third Street and Oakdale Avenue.

Harding also was a person of interest in a quadruple shooting last week in South Seattle that killed 19-year-old Tanaya Gilbert and her unborn child.

He was released in April from a one-year prison sentence after a conviction for first-degree promotion of prostitution, police said.

Harding’s rap sheet also includes a robbery conviction.

The 14-year-old girl told police she was stranded on a Seattle street after she refused to prostitute for Harding on “the track” near the Seattle Center, a sports and entertainment venue. He had commanded her to charge $50 for oral sex and $100 for intercourse, and gave her several condoms, according to the girl’s account. She told police she said no, the report said.

Harding told her “she was either going to make ‘Ho’ money and get a ride back or he was going to leave her there,” the report said. Harding stranded her there, it said.

The same girl’s earlier accusation regarding oral sex was eventually dismissed, police said.

Submitted by Tom Sullivan on Thu, 2011-07-21 06:39.

Andie, I know this guy Harding was pond scum, but even pond scum are entitled to due process. He was quite clearly shot repeatedly when it was obvious that the first shot had disabled him. 

Submitted by andie531 on Thu, 2011-07-21 09:31.

I understand that, but you took some editorial license by calling him an "innocent victim" - or else you didn't look at the full story.

I am getting sick of cops that have to engage in "overkill" (literally, in this case) by shooting someone to death.  That I don't get.  It's something about how they are trained these days.

 There was a mental black guy in Seattle who went skipping down the street brandishing a small knife, and had several cops coming up behind him - they shot him dead when they could have tackled him - there were about 8 of them and one of him - this shoot to kill crap is getting ridiculous. 

However, Harding was apparently running and shooting into the crowd toward the officers and could have killed bystanders - for no reason (typical addict behavior - and I guarantee you this guy is a substance abuser). 

The cops had a right to shoot back but I would think one hit or two would have been enough (my unqualified opinion).  I'm not condoning the outcome.

Submitted by Tom Sullivan on Thu, 2011-07-21 13:11.

I understand that, but you took some editorial license by calling him an "innocent victim" - or else you didn't look at the full story.

No, I didn't take any editorial license. I took the title from a video on Youtube, but later changed the video to another.  I'll change the title to something more accurate.

The cops had a right to shoot back but I would think one hit or two would have been enough (my unqualified opinion).  I'm not condoning the outcome.

Of course, if shot at, the cops have a right to shoot back. But not if the perp is prone.  Smacks of an execution to me. Lets face it, most of these donut eaters are actually too dumb to be cops, let alone cop, judge, jury and executioner.

Submitted by andie531 on Thu, 2011-07-21 14:20.

Of course, if shot at, the cops have a right to shoot back. But not if the perp is prone

Where in the story does it say they shot him after he fell?  Gunfire was exchanged quickly:

According to data from ShotSpotter — The first shot was one of two fired from where Harding was located. Two to six seconds later, eight more shots were fired from where the officers were located.

Harding got hit by five of the eight shots fired. Nothing indicates he was shot while prone.

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