A startling event unfolded in San Francisco, California, when a man driving a Honda sedan was fatally shot by local law enforcement following a collision with the Chinese consulate’s lobby on Monday. The driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, was declared dead at a nearby hospital.
The incident, which took place in the afternoon, resulted in a high-stress standoff between the driver and the police. The man, reportedly drenched in blood, was extracted from the scene on a stretcher and rushed to a hospital, where he was later declared dead. The sequence of events leading to the crash and the subsequent shooting are still under investigation, with officials describing the probe as intricate and ongoing.
The San Francisco Police Department reported that officers were called to the scene after the vehicle plowed into the consulate’s visa office. The officers engaged with the driver inside the building prior to the fatal shooting. The driver’s motive remains undetermined.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China issued a statement, characterizing the driver’s actions as a “violent assault” that posed a “grave threat” to the consulate staff’s life and safety. The consulate also reported damage to its infrastructure.
In their statement, the consulate denounced the attack and reserved the right to seek accountability for the incident, expressing diplomatic dissatisfaction with the U.S. The vicinity around the visa office was sealed off following the incident, with local authorities advising the public to steer clear of the area.