A driver who rammed a car into the lobby of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Monday afternoon was shot and killed by police, authorities said. The incident sparked a strong condemnation from the Chinese embassy, which demanded a thorough investigation and a serious handling of the case.
The driver shouted “Where’s the CCP?” after crashing into the consulate
According to witnesses, the driver was driving a blue Honda sedan and crashed into the lobby area of the consulate, which handles visas, around 3:09 p.m. PT. The driver then got out of the car and shouted “Where’s the CCP?” (Chinese Communist Party), before being confronted by police officers who arrived at the scene within minutes.
The driver was shot by police in the lobby and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been revealed yet. It is unclear whether he was armed or what his motive was.
No other injuries reported, but consulate building suffered serious damage
No one else was injured in the incident, but the consulate building suffered serious damage. A video posted on social media showed the car lodged into the lobby, with shattered glass and debris scattered around. People were seen rushing out of the building in panic.
A spokesperson for the Chinese consulate said that the crash posed a serious threat to the safety of staff and people on site, and damaged the facilities of the consulate. The spokesperson strongly condemned the violent attack and called for an expeditious and serious investigation in accordance with the law.
US State Department and San Francisco police working with Chinese consulate
The US State Department said that it was aware of the incident and that it was working closely with the Chinese consulate and local authorities. A spokesperson said that the US government takes seriously its responsibility to protect diplomatic facilities and personnel.
San Francisco police said that they were also working with the Chinese consulate and other agencies to determine who would lead the investigation. Sgt. Kathryn Winters, a spokesperson for the police department, said that this was a unique case because it happened inside the lobby of the Chinese consulate, which involved different jurisdictions.
Previous attacks on Chinese diplomatic missions in US
This is not the first time that a Chinese diplomatic mission in the US has been attacked. In 2014, a man set fire to the main gate of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, causing minor damage. He was later sentenced to 35 months in prison.
In 2019, two men were arrested for throwing bottles filled with flammable liquid at the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas. They pleaded guilty to attempted arson and were sentenced to 27 months and 24 months in prison respectively.
