As charges over retail theft of goods under $950 have been reduced from felonies to misdemeanors in the Bay Area, crime is on the rise. Amateur photographer Louis Chan says he was followed home by two suspects seeking to steal his camera equipment.
San Francisco shoplifting incidents have been on the uptrend recently – and now, it seems even a cop has allegedly joined in on the crime spree.
Sgt. Davin Cole, a 27-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, has been charged with shoplifting at a Rite Aid pharmacy and resisting arrest. Cole reportedly tried to steal painkillers at a San Mateo location. He has since been released on bond.
The shocking arrest of the sergeant comes as the Bay Area is reeling under an epidemic of shoplifting and smash-and-grab robberies, as charges over retail theft of goods under $950 have been reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. Some stores reported having to shuttering locations in San Francisco due to organized retail crime.
In a separate incident recently, an amateur photographer Louis, who wished for his last name to remain private, reported having his camera equipment stolen as two suspects watched him take photos on the Golden Gate Bridge, then allegedly followed him 40 miles to his driveway, he told Inside Edition.
He explained, while sharing footage of part of the incident, that he sounded his horn when one suspect came out of nowhere. The other suspect smashed the back window, grabbing allegedly expensive cameras.
Louis races after the suspects, flooring his Tesla through cinder blocks and crashing into the suspects' car. One of the suspects then comes up to the victim’s car and fires a gun.
“It was super scary,” he said, recalling the incident.
Louis is now pleading for camera manufacturers to implement anti-theft protections in a Change.org petition.
Prosecutions of crimes like shoplifting and petty theft have dropped from 58% of suspects arrested to just 35%. Fifty-one prosecutors have quit in protest, including former Assistant District Attorney Brook Jenkins.
