Police Fatally Shoot Driver Who Crashed Into Chinese Consulate in San Francisco

A driver who crashed into the visa office at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Monday afternoon was fatally shot by the police, the San Francisco Police Department said.

Officers responded to the crash near Geary Boulevard and Laguna Street around 3 p.m., where they “found that the vehicle had come to rest in the lobby of the Chinese Consulate,” according to a statement from the San Francisco Police Department.

The shooting took place after the officers made contact with the suspect, the police said. Officers and paramedics who arrived at the scene rendered aid before transporting the suspect to a nearby hospital, where the person died, the police said.

Images circulating on social media showed part of the consulate building covered with a white tarp and cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape.

The investigation into the episode is continuing, and the authorities have not released the name of the suspect or said what type of vehicle the person was driving. The Chinese consulate said in a statement that the driver had crashed into an area where consular documents are handled, “posing a serious threat to the life and safety of staff and people on site.”

“Our embassy severely condemns this violent attack and reserves the right to pursue responsibilities related to the incident,” the consulate said.