Witnesses describe mayhem of rolling gun battle along San Francisco's Embarcadero
SAN FRANCISCO – For people who work in the area, a gun battle along San Francisco's Embarcadero on Father's Day was a harrowing event that's brought new worries to the busy waterfront.
Police said a chase and shootout stretched form Pier 39 to Howard Street shortly before 7 p.m., across some of the busiest tourist spots in the city. Officials told KPIX on Monday that two people were in custody.
UPDATE: Video shows terrifying moments during San Francisco Embarcadero gun battle
"So it sounded like fireworks," explained pedicab driver Thomas Rudenko. "And I saw a car on the other side of the street and a hand outside with a pistol, right? And they were shooting. I couldn't tell, like it was all really fast."
Rudencko had just picked up a double fare when he heard the shots, looked up and saw the gunfire.
UPDATE (6/23/23): DA says no charges for man arrested in SF Embarcadero rolling gun battle
"And there's a hand shooting at them," he said. "Right after that I realized like 'oh that's a drive by, that's not firecrackers.' So I hit the ground and then everyone else around here just started running and panicking. Like you saw everyone kind of run inside."
"Yeah, it was scary," said Kenny the Clown, who was entertaining families Sunday. "I've never seen that many people running like that before in my life."
Kenny, a longtime fixture along the Wharf and Pier 39, was also stuck in the frightened crowd. He, like others who earn a living here say the violence comes as a total shock.
"It's scary," Kenny said. "Nothing like that ever happened out here. I've been out here for about 20 years. Never seen anything like that."
"Yeah, right here," Rudenko added. "Right here at the main tourist destination."
"It's important to note that when it comes to violent crime, it's actually low, historically in San Francisco," Supervisor Joel Engardio said Monday. "But incidents like this are very unnerving."
Engardio said the chase and shooting that stretched down the Embarcadero for about a mile, is more evidence that San Francisco needs to increase its police staffing. He also said these types of high-profile crimes need a high-profile response.
"People, rightfully so, feel unsafe, because it just shouldn't happen, period," he said of the incident. "We need to do more to send a signal but it's not acceptable in San Francisco. That were going to vigorously arrest and prosecute anyone who's causing mayhem on our streets."
The mayhem definitely left a shadow at Pier 39 on what would have otherwise been a gorgeous Juneteenth holiday on Monday.
"I mean, I don't think it's an unknown fact, but San Francisco has been having a lot of problems," Rudenko said. "Stores closing down and it's kind of dangerous in the inner city, but this place has been kind of insulated from all of that."