San Francisco police on Monday arrested a man known for driving around the city in a purple Ferrari with his pet duck, Daisy. SFPD officers say Brian Currier brandished a gun at a pedestrian, then barricaded himself in his Nob Hill home, leading to a standoff with police that lasted hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Currier has been struggling with mental health challenges, according to Reddit posts from people who say they know him. He sent a series of increasingly erratic emails addressed to media outlets, including The Standard, and government agencies like the White House over recent weeks. Two were sent during Currier\u2019s alleged standoff with police.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Officers responded around 2:30 p.m. Monday to a report of a person driving a sedan who had pointed a gun at a pedestrian on California Street. The suspect fled eastbound without injuring the pedestrian, police said.<\/p>\n
Officers found the vehicle outside a Nob Hill apartment building on California Street between Larkin and Hyde, where Currier had barricaded himself, prompting a critical incident response, according to the SFPD. San Francisco firefighters arrived at 3:19 p.m. During the standoff, firefighters transported one individual from the location for medical evaluation. SFFD cleared the scene at 9:35 p.m.<\/p>\n
The San Francisco Sheriff\u2019s Office booked Currier, 51, into jail shortly after 11 p.m. on suspicion of felony counts of assault with a firearm. He is being held without bail. No court date has been set.<\/p>\n
Currier sent messages to The Standard before and during the standoff that suggest he was experiencing paranoid delusions.<\/p>\n
An email Currier sent around 2:40 p.m. with the subject \u201cEYE HEART SF\u201d said everyone in San Francisco who \u201cstepped outside their home,\u201d except those who are part of Currier\u2019s \u201cnonic orders,\u201d would be \u201cput into eternal torture.\u201d<\/p>\n
An hour later he wrote: \u201cCALLING ALL ALLIES TO COME TO MY HOME AND REMOVE THE ASSASSIN FAKE COP TEAMS ASAP.\u201d Currier said his home was surrounded by \u201cchild-torturing fake cop assassins,\u201d presumably referring to the SFPD officers who were at his door.<\/p>\n
Currier sent eight emails to The Standard\u2019s tip line in the two weeks before the standoff. Many include threats, and several articulate conspiracy theories about San Francisco nightclubs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
San Francisco Animal Care and Control has taken custody of Daisy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the duck,\u201d said spokesperson Deb Campbell. \u201cThe duck is in our custody, receiving care, and doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell added that ACC did not take in Currier\u2019s dog.<\/p>\n