If the vibrant urban jungle of Tenderloin and Union Square could speak, its tales would be a blend of the extraordinary and the bizarre. One such incident unfolded on a seemingly mundane Sunday afternoon, the quiet hum of the city momentarily interrupted by sirens and the pungent odor of a fire. A 400-block of Taylor Street hotel, Hotel Spero, became the stage for a hours-long standoff between the SFPD and a knife-wielding woman who'd been threatening her neighbors. Guests were hustled out of their rooms as the police engaged in a tense negotiation, only for it to escalate and end with the woman setting her room on fire and slashing at the officers. The woman was eventually subdued and taken into custody, but the motives behind the incident remain shrouded in mystery, much like the neighborhood's colorful history. Continue reading on SFist →

Photo via Yelp