SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco police said Monday it’s still not clear who shot and wounded an officer over the weekend, and investigators are looking for the bullet.
So far, investigators have only determined that officer Adam Shaw’s partner discharged his handgun during Saturday’s incident, said officer Gordon Shyy, a police spokesman.
“The bullet that struck officer Shaw has not been recovered,” Shyy said. “Without recovering that bullet, it will be difficult to determine which firearm discharged that specific bullet… At this point in the investigation, we can’t say conclusively who shot officer Shaw.”
Police Chief Greg Suhr told reporters outside San Francisco General Hospital on Monday that police haven’t ruled out friendly fire.
Police arrested 50-year-old Jeffrey Ruano early Sunday in connection with the incident. While he faces numerous charges including assault with a deadly weapon and being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, Ruano isn’t facing any related to the shooting of Shaw.
Meanwhile, Shaw, a six-year veteran of the force is recovering and in good spirits two days after being shot in the shoulder, Shyy said. Investigators hoped to interview him on Monday.
Shaw and his partner - who has not been identified - were responding to a vandalism report Saturday afternoon when they spotted a suspicious vehicle in San Francisco’s Mission District neighborhood. The car began to back up as Shaw approached, prompting his partner to fire several shots, Shyy said.
The vehicle then sped off. That car was found abandoned a couple of hours later in a Daly City shopping mall about 10 miles south of the shooting.
The discovery triggered a manhunt involving several area law enforcement agencies. The search continued late into the night, when San Francisco police spotted a vehicle also associated with the shooting. Officers followed the car out of the city and across the Bay Bridge before asking the California Highway Patrol to stop the car on Interstate 80 near Richmond.
The car sped away when the patrol car turned on its lights and attempted to stop the car.
The chase finally ended early Sunday in San Jose with Ruano and two unidentified women detained. The women were released without being charged.
A .38 caliber cartridge was found in Ruano’s pants pocket, Shyy said. Police did not find a gun on Ruano when he was arrested.
San Francisco police officers are issued .40 caliber cartridges for their department-issued handguns.
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