Capt. Richard Corriea: Officer assaulted on bus

The officers that patrol our neighborhoods work in an environment where things can change very rapidly. Consider an officer's casual chat with a neighborhood acquaintance that ends abruptly with the officer receiving an emergency call for help. Red lights and sirens can quickly follow the calm. And turning a corner while on patrol can land an officer in a life threatening situation - a call to duty requiring immediate engagement.

Officers often mediate disputes between neighbors as well as between family members. These situations require an officer to be a diplomat, counselor, advisor, coach and take on any other role that may help to solve a problem and keep the peace. At the same time, such disputes can quickly escalate from yelling to violence. So, officers have to stay aware for the telltale signs that things are not what they seem or that things are changing for the worse. Officers watch for the clenched fist and changes in emotional behavior. They balance good communication skills with the need to keep a safe distance and the need to control with command presence.

On Feb. 16, at about 3:30 p.m., I enjoyed a brief conversation with a young officer and a veteran sergeant at the station as they prepared for their tour of duty. These are two fine members of the team who I trust with the well-being of my family and yours. The light hearted nature of our interaction would soon stand as a reminder of how quickly a police officer's world can change.

At 4 p.m., officers responded to a call of a disturbance at 17th Avenue and Geary Boulevard. Upon arrival, they learned that several juveniles had been involved in a fist fight and had boarded a bus, which was stopped at that location. The young officer mentioned above entered the bus by the rear door as the sergeant boarded through the front door. A 17-year-old male tried to push past the officer. At the same time the sergeant approached the young man from behind. The juvenile turned around and without a moment's hesitation punched the sergeant in the face. This first blow caused a laceration that bled profusely and smashed the sergeant's glasses into his forehead. The sergeant fell backwards into a group of passengers and, before he could regain his balance, the suspect punched him several more times in the face and body, knocking him to the floor. The suspect was taken into custody very quickly and arrested. The sergeant's injuries necessitated transportation by ambulance to an emergency hospital for treatment. Later, as my wife and I were standing in the hospital's emergency treatment room talking with the sergeant and the officer, our small talk drifted to discussing the risks in police work and just how much things had changed in the two-hours since our conversation at the station. The sergeant was released after several hours and returned to duty about a week later. The officer was treated for a minor injury and released to duty.

My intent is not to be dramatic. Rather, my comments are designed to help you place an officer's daily actions in some larger context. If an officer making a traffic stop seems unduly serious to you please consider that he or she is just being careful. And, if an officer comes to your home on an emergency call, please remember that their careful and formal approach is by design; they have to determine the exact nature of things as best they can and rapidly identify and manage risks.

Policing is a complicated job and most of the time things work out OK because our well trained community policing officers are also careful and vigilant. But sometimes, even when they do everything right, they get hurt.

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Please call the police
In early February, a victim of a car theft spotted her car in traffic near Spruce and California streets. The victim cornered the driver of the stolen vehicle in a parking lot, whereupon the driver threatened to run over the victim. The victim stepped out of the way as the suspect drove out of the parking lot, striking several parked cars in the process. Several days later officers from the Daly City Police Department recovered the vehicle and arrested a female suspect for auto theft.

On Feb. 3, at 11 a.m., a suspect entered a store on Geary Boulevard and began to browse the aisles. Unbeknownst to the store's employees, the person was picking up higher value merchandise and moving it to shelf locations out of view of the check-out counter. Luckily, the store owner noticed the suspect kneel down and place merchandise in a bag. When challenged about his activity the thief fled from the store empty handed.

If you notice someone who is acting suspicious please call the police. Your partnership is necessary in our quest for crime free communities. However, it's too risky for you to arrest a suspect or block their escape alone. Instead, call 911. If you provide the police dispatcher a license plate number or a good description of the suspect the responding officers will have a good chance of making an arrest.

Our next Police Community Forum is on March 15, at 1 p.m., at the Richmond Station.

The Richmond Station distributes an e-mail newsletter every Friday, which is sent to several hundred e-mail addresses, contains information about recent crimes, arrests and upcoming events in the district. To be added to this list, please e-mail us at sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.

Capt. Richard Corriea is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.