Suhr had been the target of repeated calls to resign since the killing in December of Mario Woods, 26, who was fatally shot 15 times by officers after slashing a person on the arm with a knife.
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The San Francisco Police Department is officially seeking a new leader now that Chief Greg Suhr announced his resignation Thursday.
Hours earlier, Suhr told reporters at 9:45am two officers approached a 27-year-old woman as she sat in a auto that had been reported as stolen. A patrol auto searching for stolen vehicles turned on its lights and sirens when it came upon the woman sitting behind the wheel of a parked auto that had been reported stolen. A witness reported that the officers opened the driver’s door and began grabbing her to try to arrest her, Suhr said. She was shot by one of the officers, a sergeant, after refusing to comply with their orders, Suhr said.
Halloran said he and the union were disappointed that the mayor had forced Suhr to quit, but that the Police Officers Association supports the new chief. She was shot in the same neighborhood where the five officers shot and killed Mario Woods, the 26-year-old black man carrying a knife.
Video of Woods’ shooting circulated widely online, leading to protests and calls for Suhr’s resignation.
Lee said the acting police chief will have a hard task in mending the department’s relationship with San Francisco’s black community, but added, “Toney Chaplin has the charisma, chemistry and courage to lead this department”.
The department has always been criticized for disproportionate policing of black people.
As recently as last month, three officers were discovered to have exchanged racist and homophobic text messages. Neither the woman nor the officers have been identified. Somehow, Chief Greg Suhr has remained at the helm of the police force throughout these incidents. He graduated from St. Ignatius Preparatory and the University of San Francisco and has had a varied career, including serving as captain of the Bayview Station prior to his time as chief.
San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr speaks during a news conference Friday, April 29, 2016, in San Francisco. According to the police department, the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
In a press conference, San Francisco’s mayor explained why he needed to let Suhr go.
Details of those text messages revealed inflammatory and inappropriate images found on former officers’ cellphones.
Lee expressed his admiration for Suhr’s commitment to reform, but said the progress hasn’t been fast enough. “Now, we have to unite as a city more than ever to effect the deep changes that we know are necessary to heal and make the city safer and stronger”, Kim said.
Cries for Suhr’s resignation have been frequent and loud since the end of 2015 when five officers repeatedly shot a black stabbing suspect. San Francisco police officers are being asked to take an oath co-authored by Sgt. Yolanda Williams to turn in any colleagues who display intolerant behavior.
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University of Pittsburgh law professor and policing expert David Harris told VOA the police chief “serves at the pleasure” of the mayor, so the mayor can exercise his authority to replace the chief if he believes the department is not “heading in the right direction”.
