San Francisco man pistol-whipped, robbed during daylight attack by group of suspects

A San Francisco man says he has been on high alert since falling victim to a violent robbery that left him needing five stitches to his forehead earlier this month.

Marcus Chung was out for a walk near the Chase Center at around 4 p.m. on March 18 when a car with four males pulled up next to him, according to San Francisco police.

Three of the men apparently got out of the vehicle and began to assault Chung. One of them allegedly carried a gun and used it to strike Chung’s forehead.

“One of them took the butt of his gun, slammed it into my forehead, screamed f*****, and then they jumped into the car and drove off,” Chung told NBC Bay Area. The suspects managed to rob him of his watch.

Bystanders helped transport Chung to a hospital. There, he received five stitches for his injury, according to ABC 7 News reporter Dion Lim.

Surveillance videos helped police locate the getaway car at Fisherman’s Wharf, Lim reported. Hours later, they arrested four suspects in the Financial District.

The four were charged with multiple counts of robbery, burglary, possession of stolen property and concealment of a gun. They were also charged with two unrelated car burglaries.

Chung reportedly provided a victim statement at the suspects’ hearing on Wednesday. The District Attorney also pushed for detention without bail.

However, the judge ordered the suspects’ release to home detention due to their ages. Two of them are 17, one is 18 and another is 19.

“It’s really hard to hear that the judge prioritized their well-being over mine, the person who was attacked and also public safety,” Chung told NBC Bay Area.

Chung believes he was attacked because he is gay and Asian. But despite the suspects’ alleged use of a homophobic slur, the incident is currently not being investigated as a hate crime.

For now, Chung finds himself having to deal with mental trauma. He says he struggles walking around outside because he is constantly looking over his shoulder.

“I hope that our community leaders, our government leaders take these crimes seriously and prioritize public safety, over what felt like prioritizing the well-being of my attackers,” Chung told Lim.

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