The shooting occurred on May 19, 2022 at Mariposa and Owens St. Police were called about a fight happening under a freeway overpass. When they arrived, they found Michael MacFhionghain, 57, pinning Rafael Mendoza, 49, to the ground, while holding a knife.
According to the report from the DOJ, officers gave orders in Spanish and English to “drop the knife” but he didn’t respond.
Approximately 20 officers arrived on the scene, including hostage negotiators, crisis response officers, and tactical officers. At one point, many of them began yelling at the attacker to “drop the knife” which goes against SFPD’s Use of Force Policy.
They fired non-lethal rounds which seemed to have no effect on MacFhionghain. When MacFhionghain raised the knife to stab Mendoza, officers fired their guns, and both men were killed.
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said "there is insufficient evidence to prove, that the officers involved acted without the intent to defend themselves or others from what they reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the officers and no further action will be taken in this case."
The office recommended that SFPD “ provided additional training regarding the importance of identifying a single officer on scene to communicate with the subject(s) and provide orders.”
