SFPD chief offers rare apology to auto-burglary suspect shot by police

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In a rare move, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott accepted blame on behalf of the department for a non-fatal police shooting last week and repeatedly apologized to an auto-burglary suspect who was shot in the wrist, 23-year-old Xavier Pittman Jr.

“The shooting of Mr. Pittman, quite simply, should not have happened,” Scott said Thursday at a virtual town hall, six days after police said Officer Zachary McAuliffe fired his weapon during an auto burglary investigation near Varney Place and Third Street.

“I’m deeply sorry, that Mr. Pittman was shot during this incident,” Scott continued, “and I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to Mr. Pittman, his family and friends.”

Perhaps even rarer, McAuliffe also issued his own apology to Pittman, claiming he didn’t intend for his service weapon to discharge.

“Officer McAuliffe asked me to convey how badly he feels that this happened,” Scott said. “He sincerely apologies to Mr. Pittman and wishes him a full and speedy recovery.”

Video: San Francisco Police Department
The Friday afternoon shooting was preceded by reports of five separate car break-ins in rapid succession around the city, police said, with callers detailing the same license plate number and silver Mitsubishi as the suspects’ vehicle. The callers reported hearing glass break, seeing suspects remove luggage and purses from vehicles or witnessing suspects casing parked cars, police said.

Police said they ran the plate on the suspects’ vehicle and learned it had been stolen.

Plainclothes officers were dispatched to trace the suspects and the Mitsubishi, and at about 12:48 p.m. caught sight of them in the area of Jack London Alley near Varney Place, police said.

The officers observed two suspects standing outside of the Mitsubishi who appeared to be searching and emptying the bags and luggage onto the ground, police officials said.

Surveillance footage of the incident police released on Thursday shows two plainclothes officers charging and then wrestling with one of the suspects.

In a separate video that contained audio, a male voice is heard yelling “police” just before single gunshot went off, followed by what was presumably Pittman screaming for help.

“You shot me!” the voice yelled. “I’m bleeding... I’m gonna die... call the ambulance!”

Video shows the Mitsubishi peeling off during the confrontation, with the hatchback still open and Pittman left behind with the officers. It was later recovered in Oakland.

Pittman was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and later booked into jail on suspicion of charges including five counts of second-degree auto burglary, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property. Police said Pittman was not armed at the time of the shooting.

While businesses’ surveillance footage captured portions of the incident, the officers were exempted from wearing body cameras because they were engaged in a plainclothes operation, Scott said.

Scott struck a contrite tone throughout the town hall, and personally apologized to a woman who claimed to be Pittman’s mother when she called in.

The woman thanked the chief for his statements, but said officers didn’t have enough evidence to believe her son was a suspect in the first place.

“This kid is 23 years old, and will never be able to work for the rest of his life due to your officer accidentally discharging his firearm on car burglary investigation,” she said. “When does that ever go on?”

Scott said he wasn’t yet able to say whether shooting was unintentional, and that it was a legal determination to be made by the San Francisco District Attorney’s independent criminal investigation.

The chief added that while he sincerely apologized to Pittman, the department owed it to the public to investigate and solve car break-ins, “and vigorously pursue those who victimize our residents and visitors.”

“Please keep your keep your heads and spirits up,” Scott said, speaking directly to his rank-and-file. “And continue to do the great job you do day in and day out.”