San Fran PD to get Justice Department review
SAN FRANCISCO - The Justice Department will conduct a comprehensive review of the San Francisco Police Department, which is facing scrutiny over the shooting death of a young black man. Mayor Ed Lee asked the Justice Department to investigate.
Authorities plan to announce details of the review by the department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services this afternoon.
The Dec. 2 shooting of Mario Woods by five officers has increased racial tensions and sparked calls for the removal of Police Chief Greg Suhr.
Police said only one of the five officers involved was white, but protests over the shooting continue.
Woods, 26, was shot several times after he ignored commands to drop a knife, San Francisco police Sgt. Michael Andraychak said. Andraychak said Woods continued to hold the knife after an officer shot him several times with beanbags full of lead pellets, meant to be nonlethal.
Police fired after it appeared the San Francisco man was approaching an officer, Andraychak said. Police were responding to a stabbing report in the city's Bayview neighborhood about five miles south of downtown. The area is plagued by gang violence.
A 15-second video clip circulating online shows a man bent over and holding his left hip with his left hand as he is surrounded by at least six police officers with their guns drawn.
WARNING: The video below is graphic. It has not been independently verified by CBS News.
He is seen standing up and gesturing to police before starting to wobble away from the officers. It's unclear from the video if he's holding a knife.
A woman standing in front of the person recording the video can be heard shouting "Just drop it! Just drop it, please!" The man continues walking away as one officer steps in front of him, walking backward while pointing his gun at him.
Seconds later the camera turns away as what sounds like at least 15 gunshots are fired amid bystanders' screams.
Police said Woods stabbed a man about an hour before the shooting.