Published Aug. 21, 2026at3:50pm
Two employees of a Bayview homeless shelter were arrested Thursday for allegedly harboring a suspect in the May shooting of a San Francisco police officer.
Officials said Oliver Barcenas, 36, and Erika Porter, 45, helped alleged gunman Norris Reed III evade capture after he fled the scene of the May 31 shooting on foot and entered the Bayshore Navigation Center.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, surveillance footage shows Barcenas giving Reed clothing to conceal his identity, even though Barcenas knew Reed had a firearm. Meanwhile, Porter is accused of providing false statements to officers who initially responded to the shelter, thereby preventing them from locating Reed.
Reed was ultimately arrested at the navigation center in the early morning of June 1 — more than an hour after fleeing the shooting scene — after police received a call stating that the suspect was inside the gate. Officers say they retrieved two guns from Reed’s waistband during the arrest.
“Attempting to assist an armed gunman evade capture after shooting a police officer is unconscionable,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said. “Thankfully, our officers captured this violent suspect despite the efforts by two individuals to help him.”
Representatives for Five Keys, the nonprofit that runs the shelter, did not respond to a request for comment.
The San Francisco district attorney’s office in June charged Reed with attempted murder and several other felonies in connection with the shooting. The injured officer, Brittney Taylor, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. She has been released and continues to recover, according to the SFPD.
The shooting occurred around 10:29 p.m. after officers pursued a car connected to an East Bay robbery. Earlier, a Flock license plate camera alerted police that the car was traveling on the Bay Bridge into the city.
When officers tried to stop the vehicle near Mission and First streets, the driver took off, starting a pursuit before the car stopped at Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue, the SFPD said.
As officers approached, the driver allegedly opened fire, striking Taylor multiple times. Officers returned fire, wounding a second suspect in the car. The driver then fled on foot toward the navigation center.