South City officer critically injured in skateboard attack: Suspect arrested for attempted murder in Thanksgiving Day chase

A GoFundMe campaign to benefit Chon's family was started by two fellow San Mateo County law enforcement officials Friday afternoon and raised more than $34,000 by 7 p.m.

The Thanksgiving crime began around 2:20 p.m. when several people flagged down the on-duty officer to report a person behaving aggressively and causing a disturbance at a business on the 300 block of Grand Avenue. The man immediately became confrontational when the officer approached and tried to flee on the skateboard, said Police Chief Jeff Azzopardi.

“After a short foot chase, the subject turned on the officer and intentionally struck him in the head with his skateboard, knocking him unconscious,” he said.

Another officer took the man into custody a short time later, and police provided medical aid to their injured colleague until firefighters arrived to take him to a hospital.

Luis Alberto Ramos-Coreas, 28, of South San Francisco, was jailed on suspicion of numerous felony charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, Azzopardi said. He is being held without bail. Prosecutors are expected to review the case and consider what charges to file in the coming days.

Ramos-Coreas has a lengthy history of “criminal contacts” with the Police Department, including incidents of violence, Azzopardi said.

In 2011, Ramos-Coreas was convicted of felony assault, after which he violated his probation and was sentenced to prison but ultimately served time in San Mateo County jail, according to a source familiar with the case.

The local law enforcement community rallied behind their fellow officer turning to social media to support Chon and his family. The GoFundMe campaign “Help a SSFPD Officer & his Family” was trending with numerous people sending donations and prayers.

“Law enforcement is going through difficult times with targeted, unprovoked attacks on police officers,” Azzopardi said. “Yesterday, this hit home in South San Francisco.”

Attacks have killed five California law enforcement officers in the line of duty in less than two months.

A Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot in the head Nov. 13 while checking a suspicious van, and a Modoc County deputy was shot to death Oct. 19 while responding to a domestic violence call in rural area.

Two Palm Springs police officers were gunned down outside a home where a disturbance was reported Oct. 8, three days after a Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant was fatally shot while answering a burglary call.

South San Francisco Mayor Mark Addiego said the violence was hard to understand.

“I feel when these type of incidents happen, as rare as they might be, we all lose a little bit of our collective innocence as a community. To me, that’s deeply troubling, greatly disheartening,” Addiego said.

Visit gofundme.com/help-4-ssfpd-officer-chon-family to donate.