Stabbing Suspect Fatally Shot By San Francisco Police Identified

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A stabbing suspect who was fatally shot by a San Francisco police officer in the city’s Financial District on Wednesday has been identified by the medical examiner’s office as 32-year-old Oakland resident Pralith Pralourng.

Pralourng allegedly slashed a coworker with a box cutter around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday at the TCHO New American Chocolate factory at Pier 17, police said.

The coworker suffered defensive wounds as he raised his arm to block the apparently unprovoked attack, police Chief Greg Suhr said Wednesday.

After the attack, Pralourng ran south on The Embarcadero and the victim chased him, leaving a trail of blood as he ran, Suhr said.

Police responded and tried to stop Pralourng but he would not comply with their demands. At Washington and Davis streets, he lunged at a female officer with the box cutter and she fired two shots at him, according to Suhr.

Pralourng went down on his stomach and officers handcuffed him, but immediately removed the cuffs after seeing that he had been shot in the torso, Suhr said.

He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later Wednesday.

The female officer who fired the shots has been placed on paid administrative leave, as is protocol with officer-involved shootings. Suhr said Wednesday that a preliminary investigation determined that the officer’s actions were within department policy.

The Police Department is holding a town hall meeting on Friday morning to discuss the case.

The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the Bay Side One Room at Pier 1, located near the intersection of The Embarcadero and Washington Street.