Waller Street Death Draws Neighborhood Interest, But Few Details

Waller Street Death Draws Neighborhood Interest, But Few DetailsPhoto: Walter Thompson/Hoodline
Walter Thompson
Published on February 09, 2016

This morning, we received two reader tips about police activity near the corner of Waller and Clayton:

Ubi: Police are at a building on Waller between Belvedere and Clayton with yellow tape ... the rumor is that there was a murder inside the middle apartment.

Michelle: There were a bunch of cops on Waller between Clayton and belvedere this morning. Had part of the sidewalk taped off. Any idea what was going on? 

Here's what we found out: at 7:26am, members of the San Francisco Fire Department were dispatched to the 1500 block of Waller Street, in response to a report that someone was threatening to jump from the top floor of a four-story building. From there, it's unclear what transpired, but we do know that SFFD rendered emergency aid at the scene before turning the matter over to the Medical Examiner's office.

When we arrived just before 10am, a van from the Medical Examiner's office and two SFPD cars were parked in front of the residence, which was still cordoned off by tape. The building's front door and garage were open.

Moments later, two employees in uniforms that identified them as employees of the Medical Examiner's office wheeled a gurney out of the garage, bearing a body wrapped in a white sheet. One of two police officers on the scene also carried out an evidence bag filled with prescription medication. We asked the officers at the scene for details, but they declined to make a statement, as did a neighbor who watched the proceedings. 

Due to federal laws governing patient privacy, SFFD Media Relations Officer John Baxter was not able to provide details about the decedent's identity or cause of death. Typically, the Medical Examiner's office will wait several weeks after conducting an autopsy before releasing any public information.

We'll update this story as new information becomes available; if you know more, send us a tip.