VIDEO: San Francisco Officer Shot in Head, Paralyzed; Suspect Dies
A man suspected of shooting a San Francisco, CA, police officer in the head died at San Francisco General Hospital on Sunday, said hospital spokesman Brent Andrew.
The man, who has not been identified, was shot Friday night by police officers who were responding to calls about a person threatening others at the Lakeshore Plaza Shopping Center, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
Police confronted the man on Everglade Drive. He opened fire on officers, police said, hitting Officer Kevin Downs in the head before fleeing. The man eventually came out of bushes at another location and tried to run. Officers shot him during a confrontation and took the armed man into custody after a standoff.
Downs remained hospitalized Sunday but continued to recover, officials said. He is in his early 20s and has been on the force for two years. Downs underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments from his brain. Officials said he is partially paralyzed on one side of his body, but they would not elaborate on his prognosis or recovery process.
The gunshot was nearly fatal, interim Police Chief Toney Chaplin said Saturday. At a news conference, he said the outcome would have been different had the bullet been "one centimeter down."
