Officer Robbie Chon In Critical Condition After Violent Attack
Officer Robbie Chon
Officer Robbie Chon In Critical Condition After Violent Attack
Officer Robbie Chon of the South San Francisco police was viciously assaulted by a man with a skateboard this past Thanksgiving day. When the incident originally occurred, the department chose not to release this hero’s identity however, now that the case has been closed with the arrest of his attacker, they have released his name to the public. Officer Robbie Chon remains in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery for the severe head trauma he suffered. He is a 12 year veteran of the South San Francisco police department.
The department originally released the following statement describing the attack:
At approximately 2:20 p.m., an on-duty South San Francisco Police Officer was waved down by a citizen reporting a subject causing a disturbance at a local business on the 300 block of Grand Avenue.
The officer attempted to approach the subject creating the disturbance but the subject refused to comply with the officer’s requests. The investigating officer requested additional police assistance. As a second officer was arriving, the subject fled on a skateboard. A short foot chase ensued with the officer chasing after the subject, at which time the subject stopped, turned and struck the officer on the head with the skateboard, knocking the officer unconscious. The subject continued running and was taken into custody moments later by the additional South San Francisco Police Officer. The subject was taken into custody without further incident.
As a result of the assault, the Officer sustained a major head injury and was taken to a local trauma center for treatment. The officer is currently in surgery and is in critical condition. The investigation is on-going.
City officials were notified of this incident, prompting Mayor Mark Addiego to share, “This is so disheartening to hear of this incident, in a City such as South San Francisco. We are a tight-knit community, with a police force that is our family. Our thoughts and prayers are with this officer and his family.”
The identity of the officer is not being released at this time. Any witnesses or anyone with information associated to this investigation is encouraged to call the South San Francisco Police Department at 650-877-8900 or the anonymous TIP line at 650-952-2244.
Deputy Chris Swinney, a long time friend of Robbie and academy classmate, started a Go Fund Me account for Robbie and his family. Robbie is married with two beautiful children.
Robbie doesn’t know this because I never shared it with him, but he was one of the few guys who insipired me at the police academy. Without him, I might not have finished. He would run our PT (physical training) and often did his famous, “Chon Kickers.” That excercise kicked my butt, but it was well worth it. His view and take on life, with friends, family, and complete strangers, has always been top-notch and pleasant. His career has been example of what it means to be a “go to” officer, leader, and teammate. Raising any amount of money for Robbie and his family won’t make things entirely right again in the short-term, but it would help.
We’d also like to take a moment to bring up another hero. Officer Ryan Donald was attacked in Olympia, Washington. Officer Donald was alone, facing two thieves armed with skateboards who were attacking him. Officer Donald made the only reasonable decision to defend his life, and he shot the people attacking him. The shootings prompted the media to report the shootings as “unarmed black men” being shot. There were protests, and Officer Donald’s name was dragged through the mud. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, the media frequently reports this as an example of an unjustified shooting. What happened to Officer Ronnie Chon shows just how dangerous skateboards can be when used as weapons.
Please keep Officer Robbie Chon in your thoughts and prayers.
