A harrowing story from San Francisco: Matthew Hoffman, a 32-year-old man who was killed after pulling out an altered airsoft gun in front of police, left a suicide note on his phone for the officers who shot him: "Please, don't blame yourself. I used you. I took advantage of you."
The note, which was headed "Dear Officer(s)," was released by the San Francisco Police Department with permission of Hoffman's father. Another section said that the officers "ended the life of a man who was too much of a coward to do it himself."
The Associated Press describes the altercation that lead to Hoffman's death:
The shooting occurred about 5:15 p.m. after three sergeants noticed a man loitering in the parking lot of the Mission District police station. The parking lot is clearly marked as restricted to the public, but a gate is kept open for police vehicles to come and go, Suhr said.
Police ordered Hoffman to leave, and he began to walk away but then stood in the middle of the driveway, staring at them and blocking them from leaving. The sergeants again ordered him to leave.
Hoffman began backing out of the parking lot, facing the sergeants with his hands in his front shirt pockets. They asked him to show his hands. He lifted his sweater and showed what appeared to be the butt of a handgun, said police spokesman Albie Esparza.
When Hoffman reached for his waistband and pulled out the air gun, two of the sergeants opened fire, hitting Hoffman three times.
Hoffman's airsoft gun was altered so that it no longer carried the orange tip that identified it as a toy, according to police. Department spokesman Albie Esparaza told the AP that Hoffman had previously visited the Mission District police precinct, asking officers what kind of ammunition they use and whether any had previously been involved in a shooting.
Police Chief Greg Suhr, above right, said the department has "heightened concern for officer safety" following the killings of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn:
"This is a job where, very sadly, we lose officers," Suhr said. "It's on all our minds. But we've got a job to do, so we're going to do it."
[Image via AP]
