Fans poured into the streets of San Francisco following the Giants’ win against the Kansas City Royals in the final game of the World Series on Wednesday night, resulting in 40 arrests and numerous instances of vandalism and violence in the city.
San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr himself was out on the streets following the big win and said he encountered a lot of “jerks.”
Suhr said that while he was out dispersing crowds and extinguishing fires following the Giants’ 3-2 Game 7 win over the Royals, he was struck in the leg by a bottle. He said that while he was uninjured, others on the police force and members of the public were not as fortunate.
Suhr said three police officers were struck with bottles by rowdy revelers and were transported to the hospital with injuries.
One officer was struck in the hand, another was struck in the shoulder and a third was struck in the arm. All three officers were released from the hospitals and are doing OK, Suhr said.
Other officers were also struck with bottles, but were not treated at the hospital, Suhr said.
“Someone could get seriously injured or killed,” he said. “These people throwing the bottles, they’re not on the Giants, they don’t have the best aim. So they can hit other people too.”
He said the men and women of the Police Department were “off the hook” in their efforts to allow celebrations while still protecting people and property.
The police chief said the majority of celebrators behaved “spectacularly” but about 100 were “disgraceful.”
He said of the 40 people arrested overnight, 29 were too drunk to care for themselves and were arrested for public drunkenness.
Suhr said two gun arrests were made and six people were arrested for felonies. Four were arrested for outstanding warrants, one for a misdemeanor and another for a battery in the Mission District.
Three people are in custody for aggravated assault on Polk Street, Suhr said.
“It makes us look bad and it’s a shame,” Suhr said of the violence.
There were two injury shootings reported, one on Valencia Street between 20th and 21st streets. Suhr said in that incident, two men were reportedly arguing when one took out a gun and shot at the other man, striking a passerby in the arm.
The victim is in stable condition, Suhr said.
The location of the second shooting remains under investigation, but the victim told police that he was shot at the intersection of 16th and Bryant streets.
Suhr said there was no activity on the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system that corroborates that account. The man was treated at San Francisco General Hospital and is in stable condition.
An argument that also occurred at 21st and Valencia streets resulted in a suspect stabbing a victim three times. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he is in serious but stable condition, Suhr said.
In addition to violence, vandalism was also an issue following the game.
Suhr said officers wore helmets and other gear on the streets to escort firefighters to bonfires that people had started on the streets.
Nine police cars were damaged during the night. Four patrol vehicles were tagged with graffiti and five sustained broken windows and windshields.
While Suhr said his department has not yet released the residency of the suspects who were arrested, he said many of the people in the crowd who caused trouble were not from San Francisco.
Marking the third World Series win for the Giants in five years, the city will host a victory parade at noon Friday and Suhr said anyone looking to make trouble during the celebration should stay home because it will not be tolerated.
Suhr said the parade will head down Market Street from the Ferry Building and end with a celebration outside City Hall.
Market Street will be closed off to all other vehicular traffic and that Mission Street will also be closed between The Embarcadero and Van Ness Avenue, with only city vehicles allowed to travel on it.
The chief urged anyone coming to the parade to take public transportation to the event, with both BART and Golden Gate Ferry running expanded service on Friday.
Golden Gate Ferry will run additional service from Larkspur throughout Friday morning, according to ferry officials.
BART trains will run rush hour service all day Friday and will run trains until 2 a.m., according to BART officials.
The parade will begin at noon and paradegoers are asked not to bring alcohol out onto the street and not to smoke marijuana in public, Suhr said.
Suhr said his department will increase staffing by about 20 percent for the event and that canine units will also be out on the streets.
Suhr said Friday will be a congested day in San Francisco. Along with the parade, Halloween festivities are planned around the city as well as the monthly Critical Mass cycling event starting at Justin Herman Plaza at 6 p.m.
Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News
