S.F. police shoot, kill armed man at Bernal Heights Park

Deputy Police Chief Lyn Tomioka speaks to the press about the fatal incident. Deputy Police Chief Lyn Tomioka speaks to the press about the fatal incident. Photo: Codi Mills, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Codi Mills, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close S.F. police shoot, kill armed man at Bernal Heights Park 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

An armed man was shot and killed by police in San Francisco's Bernal Heights Park on Friday night, authorities said.

Officers responding to calls about a man with a gun approached him on a paved pedestrian path on the north slope of the park about 7:10 p.m., said police Deputy Chief Lyn Tomioka.

The man appeared to draw his gun as the officers approached, Tomioka said. The officers, fearing for their lives, opened fire.

The man was declared dead at the scene.

Tomioka said she did not know if the man had exchanged fire with the officers, but she said a gun was discovered close to his body. She also could not say how many officers discharged their weapons, but that it was more than one.

Jackson Lloyd, a Bernal Heights resident, was at the top of the hill when the shooting happened. He said he heard 12 to 16 gunshots and then saw police officers standing around a body.

Noah Tsutsui, who was at his home on Folsom Street, said the number of shots he heard was "unbelievable."

"It had to have been two to three people shooting," Tsutsui said.

Isaac McGowan said his wife possibly noticed the man when she was running up the hill just before the shooting.

"Two guys walking toward her warned her that he was wearing a holstered gun," McGowan said. "She looked again and he was air boxing. She ran down the hill away from him and warned everyone walking up."

Police cordoned off the park for most of Friday night as they conducted their investigation and canvassed the area for witnesses.

"It's still unfolding," Tomioka said about 9:15 p.m. "We don't have a lot of details tonight."