A man who allegedly fired shots at sheriff’s deputies who had come to evict him from an apartment near Buena Vista Park last week has been charged with attempted murder.
Eric Notrick, 42, of San Francisco, faces five counts of attempted murder of a public official, one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, the San Francisco District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday.
The criminal complaint also includes allegations that Notrick personally and intentionally discharged a firearm and that he used a firearm in the commission of the crimes. Notrick pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Monday, the office said.
“I would like to thank the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department and the San Francisco Police Department for ensuring that no one was physically hurt during this dangerous encounter,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “Members of law enforcement often put their own lives at risk undertaking their duties and we must hold people accountable who senselessly engage in acts of violence that put lives at risk.”
The standoff started around 10:45 a.m. on July 3 when Notrick fired multiple shots through a door toward members of the sheriff’s office at an apartment on Roosevelt Way, according to sheriff’s Capt. Alejandro Cabebe. Prosecutors said the deputies knocked on Notrick’s door to announce the eviction before he “suddenly” fired seven times.
The confrontation sparked an hours-long standoff with sheriff’s deputies and police. Notrick was ultimately taken into custody and transported to a hospital to be assessed for unspecified injuries. No officers or deputies were hurt during the incident.
In a statement provided to The Standard on Wednesday, Notrick’s attorney said the 42-year-old believed that the eviction was illegal, noting that he “appears to have a long history of distrust with his landlord.”
“When the deputies unexpectedly came to his door, he felt that his life was in danger, which caused a great deal of confusion and distress,” Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White said. “We’re grateful that no one was hurt.”
The DA’s office said Notrick is due back in court on July 30 to schedule a preliminary hearing. The court granted a motion to detain him pending trial, prosecutors said.