Update: SFPD chief ‘100% confident’ detectives solve fatal shooting of tech ex Bob Lee

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Police Chief Bill addressed the investigation on Thursday. The fatal stab that killed MobileCoin CPO Bob LeeExpressing confidence that the officers will quickly solve the murder.

Scott spoke to CBS News Thursday afternoon about the case that has sent shockwaves through the city and the tech world.

Asked if the attack was targeted or random, Scott replied: “It’s too early to tell.” All I can tell you is that our homicide team is working tirelessly to solve this. We have a lot going on in this investigation and we will be following up on things that need to be followed up and releasing the information, but we don’t want to do anything to compromise this investigation.

Scott said the department has an “excellent team of homicide detectives” on the case and noted the department’s homicide clearance rate of 80-85 percent year-to-date.

“I have 100% confidence in this class,” Scott said.

When asked about criticism of San Francisco as a lawless city, Scott was quick to defend the department.

“Let’s look at the data. Yes, our homicide rate is one more than what we had at this time last year,” Scott said. “It’s still early in the year. Let’s look at the last five years. You know, pre-outbreak — back to 2019 — homicides were at lows that we haven’t seen since the early ’60s. It’s been ramping up since then. The year of the outbreak, I think we’ve seen violent crime across the country. , so we are no different.

Continued: You San Francisco’s Violent Crime Rate Compared to Other Cities by 100,000 [in population]We are on the lower end for major cities. That is never discussed. We have issues with our city. We definitely have some things to work on. We have these images that go viral and are posted around the world related to drug use and homelessness. Those are problems in our city and we are solving them. But violent crime? We are not that town.

While police have released very limited information about the fatal stabbing, some details have emerged of the deadly attack, where Lee was left bleeding from multiple stab wounds on the sidewalk.

Officers responded to the 300 block of Main Street in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday after reports of a stabbing, police said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

Read more: Memorials, anxiety mount over fatal stabbing of SF Rincon Hill tech executive Bob Lee

According to the San Francisco Standard, Lee yelled, “Help! Someone’s stabbed me!” He hears her say. in the audio of the 911 call he made on his cell phone before officers arrived. The San Francisco Standard also reported that Lee could be seen on surveillance video walking westbound on Main Street after being fatally wounded. The video is said to show him walking up to a parked car with hazard lights on and lifting his shirt to reveal his wound before the vehicle drove off.

Read more: The killing of tech tycoon Bob Lee raises the alarm in San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood

Security camera video shows him driving into the Portside condos complex and falling about 20 feet after the car took off. Officers arrived and found the stabbing victim, later identified as the 43-year-old founder of Cash Up and the former CEO of Square. Officers began life-saving assistance until paramedics arrived; Lee died of his injuries at the hospital.

Police and the city medical examiner’s office initially did not identify Lee Tuesday night. Friends and colleagues confirmed Lee’s death, as did MobileCoin, a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency startup.

Lee moved to Miami late last year but was in town last week for the MobileCoin Leadership Summit, and stayed a few extra nights to see friends. His father, Rick Lee, said on social media that the two lived in San Francisco’s Mill Valley area.

“Life is an adventure with two bachelors together, and I’m so glad we got to be so close in these last years. Bob gives you the shirt off his back,” the post read in part. “He never looked down on anyone and followed a strict, no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I’ve ever known. He will be missed by all who knew him.”

San Francisco Crimes:

San Francisco is still struggling with a resurgence of crime as it tries to recover from the epidemic. Preliminary police data put San Francisco at 12 homicides this year, up 20 percent from the same period last year. Overall, there were 56 homicides in San Francisco in 2022, which is the same as the city’s homicide rate in 2021.

of fatal injection It sent shock waves through the east side of San FranciscoIt also includes an area known as Rincon Hill.

Tracy McCray, vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said while a heinous crime of this nature is unusual for the East Side neighborhood, it could happen anywhere.

With the SFDD severely understaffed, officers at the south station are stretched thin, adding to the complexity of the investigation.

“They are short staffed. And I think people forget that the Southern District is also responsible for Treasure Island, so they have a very big footprint, doing more with less,” McRae said.

has been Growing memorial to pay tribute to Lee A deadly crime scene near the intersection of Harrison and Main.

Chris Heimbuch worked with Lee and stopped by to drop off flowers and a handwritten note.

“That smile will stay with me forever,” Heimbuck said.

He said the world has lost a great leader in the tech industry but most importantly a loving father, son and brother due to this tragedy.

“This is a one-level emergency – what else is this going to take? And I’m not talking about this brutal murder. It happens everywhere, all over the city,” Heimbuck said.