Members of the SFPD Marine Unit were recently informed by associates of the maritime community that a wanted fugitive was hiding in the area of Pier 47. Sergeant Dan Laval, Officer Nicholas Bettencourt, and Officer John Broucaret surrounded the location pointed out and, after a painstaking search, located the suspect and had him in custody within hours.
A few days later and Sergeant Keith Matthews, Officer Mark Monpas, and Officer Braden Todaro also of the SFPD Marine Unit came upon an oil leak from a nearby tanker. They immediately notified the US Coast Guard and conducted a perimeter assessment of the damage incurred. Turned out that the tides were bringing a massive amount of oil directly toward Pier 45 where there were over 35 fishing boats docked. Sergeant Matthews directed the employment of a 700 foot absorbent boom to contain the seepage and, in doing so, the SFPD Marine Unit saved the local owners of the fishing vessels from a disastrous financial burden that would have directly impacted their livelihood.
It’s a month later and Officer John Van Koll, Officer Joel Salmonson, and Officer Edward Carew were investigating a domestic violence situation where the male suspect had twisted a woman’s arm until her collar bone dislocated from her neck and a few days later almost broke her leg in a violent attack fueled by alcohol. They located the suspect who was hiding out on a boat docked nearby but totally out of range of the officers on shore. A quick call to the SFPD Marine Unit brought Sergeant Keith Matthews and Officer Mark Monpas on scene and they managed to board and take the suspect into custody.
The Department should probably extend their Protect and Serve logo to include “on both land and sea!”
The information received by Officer Yaroslav Shablinksy and Officer Sarah Vallarino indicated that a man working at a nearby gas station was supplementing his income by selling drugs as well. A preliminary investigation revealed this subject had agreed to a warrantless search of his person and property as a condition of his probation for . . . selling drugs. The officers took additional time to conduct a surveillance of the business and, sure enough, the suspect went to his car every time he encountered an individual who approached him. The officers proceeded with their investigation and found the suspect’s car was nothing short of a mobile pharmacy - minus the license to prescribe what was inside. A further inquiry at the home of the felon resulted in the officers taking a young child into protective custody.
Domestic violence and child abuse are among the most serious crimes an officer encounters and that was exactly what occurred when Officer Christopher Eggers and Officer Blake Cunningham were called to the scene of what was originally cast as a minor incident. The officers noticed the woman reportee had injuries consistent with being hit in the face numerous times and her 11-year old son had a swollen right eye. Although reluctant at first, the reportee eventually told the officers that her husband had beaten them and then left right before they arrived. The victim related what occurred as a result of the concern and empathy the officers showed as well as the alternatives they suggested. Officer Eggers and Officer Cunningham later managed to locate the suspect and placed him into custody for the injuries incurred by the family he once terrorized.
Driving a car with a suspended license and being on probation for various crimes are not a good mix if you are transporting narcotics and weapons. Especially if you’re known to the officers in the district where you are operating your illegal activities. Such was the case when Officer Ali Misaghi, Officer Brent Cader, and Officer Edric Talusan noticed just such an individual driving right by them. They made contact with the driver and, after a brief detention and subsequent investigation, they found that he was in possession of a concealed and fully-loaded 40 caliber semi-automatic reported stolen as well as a great quantity of methamphetamine. The gun, suspect, and narcotics are no longer a threat to the community thanks to the outstanding work of these officers.
One of the higher priorities following events at AT&T Park is to monitor activities around the Market Street Corridor. That’s exactly what Sergeant Brian Oliver and his crew (Officer Zachary McAuliffe, Officer Patrick Woods, Officer Richard Gutierrez, Officer David Vizcay, Officer Bret Grennell, Officer Mazi Sadiki, and Officer Irvin Huerta) were doing recently when they were dispatched to a fight at 6th and Market Streets. Seems as though 2 different groups were having words when the officers arrived and, after some time, they were able to separate the combatants and they were sent on their way. Shortly after, one of the groups apparently armed themselves and came back looking to finish what they started. That’s when Officer McAuliffe noticed one individual in particular that seemed as though he was hiding something under his sweatshirt. Turned out that the object he was concealing was a fully-loaded, .45 caliber semi-automatic weapon with 7 rounds ready to go. Suspect and weapon in custody and what could have been a fatal incident was resolved quickly due to the attentiveness and professionalism of the officers involved.
Reports of a serious assault taking place at Connecticut and Wisconsin Streets brought Officer Alexander Lentz, Officer Leo Bernstein, and Officer Jeffrey Fortuno to the scene. Once there, they observed one woman beating another with a heavy metal bracket. The victim was on the ground and bleeding. The officers immediately disarmed the suspect and took her into custody while arranging for medical treatment for the seriously injured victim. The rest of the processing was nothing new to the suspect since she was already on felony probation.
Just before noon, the broadcast from Dispatch described a man in the area of Keith and Hudson who was dressed in army fatigues and waving a gun around. Officer Sher Khan, Officer Agustin Perez, Officer Alvaro Mora, and Officer Stephen Coleman responded to the scene. The officers immediately surrounded the suspect as he placed the gun into his backpack and then ran from the area. The foot chase involved several blocks with Officer Brent Cader and Officer Edric Talusan also getting involved at the end when they had to tackle the extremely violent and crazed individual. Turned out the gun the suspect had was a fully-loaded, 9mm semi-automatic weapon.
A special welcome to Luke and Dominic and, for the rest of you, stay safe!
