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An undercover San Francisco police officer on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle near Alamo Square Park just before noon on Thursday.

Police say the officer's injuries are not life threatening and that he was making an arrest for auto burglary when he was hit.

According to SFPD, officers responded to a car break-in at Hayes and Pierce streets.

A couple visiting from Florida had parked their rental car on Pierce street and walked a block to see Alamo Square.

That's when someone smashed the back window of the rental vehicle and stole two suitcases.


The woman's husband looked back toward the car.

"He had binoculars. He was looking back to our car and we saw some people breaking into our car and took a hammer out and smashed the window," said Erin Ge. Who just arrived in San Francisco from Orlando, Florida.

Coincidentally, the undercover officer saw what happened and attempted to stop the suspect after seeing him by the car with the smashed window.

"He attempted to detain one of the suspects and a vehicle [driven by a second suspect] came near the area and rammed the officer and ran over one of the suspects," said police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca.

The officer was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is an 11-year veteran of the department and is currently assigned to the auto burglary abatement program out of the Northern Station.

"We saw an officer injured. He was sitting by our car. He was taken by the ambulance," said Ge.

The car that struck him was a black Infiniti with paper license plates. It sped away toward Buchanan and Haight Streets. The Infiniti struck a car in the intersection.

"Saw a black Infiniti hit a Prius at Buchanan and Haight. The Infiniti started rolling down the hill. Two people jumped out. I believe the Infiniti hit a couple of cars coming down Haight," said Tyler Brown.

Witnesses say they saw two men run from the car and saw officers arrest two men separately.

The injured suspect was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries.

The suspect who drove away from the scene drove a mile to Buchanan Street and Haight Street.

Martin Halloran, President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association released a statement Thursday afternoon that read in part "It is so frustrating to SFPD officers that our Use of Force policy prohibits us from shooting at a suspect in a vehicle even if that suspect is trying to kill or seriously injure innocent civilians or our officers. That policy must be changed. The POA hopes that the District Attorney charges these felons appropriately as dangerous felony auto burglars who attempted to murder a San Francisco Police officer by running over him in a three thousand pound vehicle."

You can read the actual SFPD Use of Force Policy here.

All three suspects in this incident were arrested, including one who was being treated at the hospital. Police say they may also be looking to make more arrests connected to what happened.

KTVU reporter Rob Roth contributed to this story