HP Storeowner Shoots Woman In Back Of The Head
DEVELOPING STORY: This afternoon @ Pop Yo Collar, a hip hop clothing store on the 3200 block of 3rd st in Hunters Point an alleged female shoplifter was shot in the back of the head and killed.
(note : - It has since come clear that she did not die - I apologize for the error, but that was what people were saying at the site as of yesterday at 4 pm when i learned & posted this info.)
Just days after the 40th anniversary of the Hunters Point Riots, a merchant of middle eastern descent shot an unindentified african american female, creating more tension in a neighborhood already simmering. The woman, allegedly shoplifting clothing items, was in her late 20’s- or 30’s but is yet to be indentified.
The area is cordoned off by yellow police tape and the situation is under investigation.
A press conference has been called at the scene for 6:00pm where members of the community are gathering and many are outraged. Appearing will be community leaders including District 10 candidate Charlie Walker, of the African American Truckers Union and local filmmaker Kevin Epps.
This is a terrible shame.
For other people in this neighborhood who feel helpless, there will be a Peace Walk this Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10am-1pm, starting at the MLK Jr. Pool (3rd & Carroll) and going to 3rd & Gilman. The walk won’t solve our problems, but it will show our solidarity that the community wants all this violence to stop now.
The young lady apparently wasn’t killed, in fact reports this morning are that she isn’t in any danger of dying and her full recovery is expected. However, last night someone set fire to the store, and this morning kids have been stealing from the wreckage.
It safe to say this is retaliation for yesterday’s shooting, but I wonder if this retaliation was, in part, furthered by this inaccurate and irresponsible Metroblog post that claims, falsely, that the woman died. At the least, a correction should have been made by now in my opinion.
While I certainly don’t condone the store owner’s shooting the suspected shoplifter, but I also wonder why anyone would open a business in this neighborhood when the customers treat business owners this way. Does anyone really think this was the first case of shoplifting in the store? Or is it more likely the store owner was frustrated by repeated theft. The accompaning arson and further theft shows that the community has little respect for the law or their neighbors.
I agree with Kirk that it should have been corrected - I had not seen the news last night or I would have known that the woman did indeed survive.
But to suggest that store owners shouldn’t open stores in BVHP because there’s occassional shoplifting is ridiculous. Dealing with shoplifting is a cost of doing business. Of course, most storeowners don’t shoot shoplifters. Walgreen’s on 3rd & Evans has a security guard who deals with shoplifters by calling the police. To suggest that maybe shopowners shouldn’t open shops to serve the law-abiding folks of this neighborhood just because of some troublemakers is basically suggesting that this whole neighborhood be punished.
Have you even been down here? It’s actually the friendliest SF neighborhood I’ve lived in. The rest of us do not deserve to be screwed any more than we already are by virtue of living down here, a place that sorely needs the economic development that the Redevelopment Plan will bring.