SFPD releases video of alleged unprovoked shooting that injured dispensary owner

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Police Department provided more details on Tuesday related to the officer-involved shooting that occurred near Civic Center Plaza last week after an allegedly unprovoked attack on a cannabis dispensary owner.

Just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 27, emergency dispatch received calls of a shooting that took place in front of a marijuana dispensary on Ninth Street between Market and Mission streets.

Police held a virtual town hall meeting to explain what led to the officer-involved shooting accompanied with surveillance footage, calls placed to emergency dispatch, officer body camera video, and photos of the investigation.

Video surveillance shows a bicyclist, who is wearing dark clothing, riding toward cannabis dispensary owner Martin Olive, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of his marijuana shop.

In the footage, the bicyclist, who was later identified as 34-year-old Cheasarak Chong, gets off his bike and walks towards Olive. Chong appears to swiftly pull out a handgun and fire multiple rounds at Olive from close range.

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Olive can be seen holding the back of his head and collapsing. After Olive fell to the ground, Chong appears to continue to fire shots.

The shooter then casually walks away and enters the apartment complex next door to the dispensary, leaving Olive for dead.

There were several witnesses who called emergency dispatch and bystanders who rendered aid to Olive.

“Calm down buddy, they’ll be here,” one of the callers said to Olive. Olive can be heard wailing and moaning in the background.

Olive sustained six gunshot wounds and miraculously survived the brazen attack.

VIDEO: SF dispensary owner shot multiple times; suspect dies in police standoff

Investigating officers allege than Chong had barricaded himself inside his top-floor apartment at 81 Ninth St., said Acting Commander Mark Im during the town hall.

For two hours, officers with the hostage/crisis negotiation team tried to make contact with Chong, who allegedly did not comply with officers’ demands.

Several police then positioned themselves on the rooftop of the apartment building, facing the windows of Chong’s well-lit apartment below.

After two foam projectiles were deployed by police, a round of three shots can be heard. While the department says these shots were fired by the suspect, it is not clear when looking at body camera video.

Twelve seconds later, Officer David Edgerson fired multiple shots toward a smaller window of the apartment just as Chong appeared to peek through one of the blinds.

“Live video feed from a drone revealed that Mr. Chong was not moving and laying on the kitchen floor with a rifle slung on his body,” Im said.

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Chong was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators allegedly found three handguns, two of which were loaded, one loaded rifle, multiple magazines, five bullet casings, and a bulletproof vest inside his apartment.

SFPD did not provide information on a potential motive for Chong attacking Olive. Both shootings are in the early stages of ongoing investigations and more details may be released in the future.

Chong had a previous run-ins with the law. In 2018, he was acquitted of attempted murder after stabbing an attacker in self-defense, according to his public defenders.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office will make the final decision and determine whether Edgerson and other responding officers acted in compliance with the law.

A few hours before the town hall, Olive made a social media post on Instagram letting his followers know that he was released from the hospital after spending six nights there.

“Discharged from the hospital last night with a mostly full recovery expected,” he wrote. “Grateful to sleep in my bed though the nightmares are decidedly not rad … I wanna thank you all, seriously, for the love and support and smiles you’ve all shared with me. It’s kept me going.”