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The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

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Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:36 PM

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San Francisco Authorities Say Police Fired 65 Times In 15 Seconds At Murder Suspect

Authorities in San Francisco released body camera videos on Tuesday of a dramatic shootout in which police officers fired their weapons at least 65 times in 15 seconds at a murder suspect.

The San Francisco Police Department said the shooting happened on Feb. 17 in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood when officers confronted 31-year-old homicide suspect Joel Armstrong inside an RV at a homeless encampment.

Armstrong allegedly shot two men the day before during a carjacking in the city's Panhandle neighborhood, killing one of them.

Body camera footage released by police shows how officers tracked Armstrong to the neighborhood then the moment when he shot at officers, who then returned fire.

"Nobody was struck by gunfire during this incident. The evidence in the case so far indicates Armstrong fired two rounds from a weapon, and that seven officers fired 65 rounds from their department-issued weapons," SFPD Commander Greg McEachern told KTVU.

Armstrong eventually turned himself into police, and has been charged with murder, carjacking, and eight counts of attempted murder.

The videos were released at a town hall meeting about the shooting, where residents expressed concerns about the number of homeless encampments in the area.

Authorities said they are working to move people into housing.