SFPD Provides Details on Fatal Police Shooting Following SoMa Standoff

The San Francisco Police Department provided more information Tuesday on a fatal police shooting that occurred in the South of Market area last week following an attack on a cannabis dispensary owner.

During a virtual town hall, acting Commander Mark Im said Officer David Egderson fatally shot Cheasarack Chong after Chong fired at officers during a standoff on Jan. 27. Chong, 34, was suspected of shooting Martin Olive, co-owner of the Vapor Room cannabis dispensary on Ninth Street, in what police described as an unprovoked incident earlier that day.

Olive collapsed and was seen by witnesses holding his head and crying out in pain. After the shooting, Chong was captured entering a nearby building by security cameras.

Video footage before the first shooting shows a man, allegedly Chong, riding up Ninth Street on an electric bicycle before coming to a stop and pulling out a handgun. Chong approached Olive on the sidewalk before firing multiple shots at him.

Several witnesses reported the incident, which occurred around 5 p.m., and waited with Olive until law enforcement and medical personnel arrived. Olive was struck several times, including in the face and chest, according to a GoFundMe organized to help Olive pay for his medical bills.

Olive, 47, was released from the hospital after six days.

“My best friend and one of the most vibrant, hilarious, and greatest humans I know, Martin Olive, was shot while standing outside his business in San Francisco,” wrote Jason Tyler Grace. “Martin is not just a beloved friend — he’s an irreplaceable part of the Bay Area community.”

The suspect in the shooting of Olive was described by the victim as an Asian man wearing a baseball cap, black jacket and white shirt, according to Im. Recordings of emergency calls played during the town hall contained conflicting information, with some describing the suspect as Black and Latino.

When police and medical responders arrived at the scene, officers from surrounding districts identified Chong as a suspect and were able to track him to his apartment near Mission and Ninth streets.

A tactical unit and hostage negotiation team were deployed to the apartment and surrounding buildings, and a perimeter was established in the area. Officers made contact with Chong, who barricaded the door to his apartment, ordering him to exit the building. Chong refused and told the officers to leave, according to Im.

A member of the tactical team shot two foam projectiles into a window in Chong’s apartment to gain a better visual, as shown by the officer’s body camera footage. Chong responded by firing shots at the officers stationed on the roof across from his building. Edgerson, who was on the roof, returned fire a few seconds later, according to Im.

Im said officers continued calling out to Chong but received no response. Live drone footage showed Chong unresponsive on his kitchen floor, and officers entered the apartment along with a paramedic. Chong was declared dead. Several weapons, including semiautomatic firearms and ammunition, were found in his apartment.

Investigations into the police shooting are being conducted by the San Francisco Police Department Internal Affairs Division, the Department of Police Accountability and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.