Photographer bloodied after refusing to surrender to robbers in San Francisco

November 14, 2022

A wedding photographer was left bloodied following a violent attempted armed robbery outside the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts last week.

The incident occurred outside the monumental structure in San Francisco’s Marina District in front of several witnesses at around 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, according to reports.

One of the witnesses filmed the altercation on their phone, showing how the photographer struggled against the two armed robbers as they tried to take his equipment from him. The video was later shared on Instagram page @sfstreets415.

The photographer, who is reportedly based in Dallas, was taking pictures of a Bay Area couple who recently got their marriage certificate when two armed robbers wearing masks and hoodies approached them.

The Dallas man, who wished to remain anonymous for his safety, successfully stopped the armed robbers from taking his camera and other equipment inside his bag. After around a minute of struggling, the attackers fled the scene in a car across the street.

Recalling the incident, the man, who is a new father, said he was left bloodied after getting pistol-whipped in the head.

“I was just freaked out. I tried to protect the client’s memories. The bride was crying all the time,” he told ABC7 News.

The Palace of Fine Arts has become such a popular area for car break-ins and other criminal activities that authorities have put up signs warning people visiting the monumental structure to take their valuables with them before leaving their cars.

Another incident was reportedly recorded outside the Palace of Fine Arts earlier that day, showing a robber fleeing the scene with a bag of camera equipment. Photographer @ramaphotovideo, who allegedly captured the incident, posted a PSA on Instagram advising other photographers in San Francisco to be careful.

“SF is not a safe place to shoot anymore sadly,” the photographer wrote in their video’s onscreen text. “A photographer got robbed at gun point today while I was waiting for my couple. Please keep your gear and yourself safe and try to stay out of SF.”

In the same clip, @ramaphotovideo shared another incident that occurred a “couple [of] weeks ago.” Their friend’s new car was allegedly broken into, and all their gear was stolen.

Featured Image via @sfstreets415

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