San Francisco Police Department, California
End of Watch: Monday, November 14, 1994
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: 1461
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 13, 1994
Weapon Used: Rifle; Semi-automatic
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Officer James Guelff succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day when he was shot by a carjacking suspect near the intersection of Pine Street and Franklin Street at approximately 6:00 pm.
The suspect had carjacked a vehicle in Mountain View and had driven to San Francisco, where he pushed the car's owner out of the vehicle.
The suspect then drove to Pine Street, where he double-parked the vehicle. The man opened fire on Officer Guelff with a semi-automatic rifle as the officer approached the vehicle. Officer Guelff emptied his service weapon at the suspect and was reloading when he was shot again.
The suspect was wearing a ballistic helmet, a flak jacket, and carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Members of the San Francisco Police Department's SWAT Team shot and killed the man, but not before another officer, a paramedic, and a civilian were wounded by gunfire. Officers found the man was also in possession of a police scanner, gunpowder, fuses, and three vials of painkillers.
Officer Guelff had served with the San Francisco Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by two children.