The man who fired first at the start of what became a rolling gun battle along San Francisco’s Embarcadero, in which he emptied the magazine of his stolen handgun, was sentenced to 174 days in jail for his role in the incident, it has emerged.
Lee Haywood pleaded guilty to one felony count of firing into an occupied vehicle. Five other felony counts, and one misdemeanor, were dismissed per the terms of a plea deal.
Superior Court Judge Terese Caffese imposed the sentence last month. Haywood was also given two years’ probation and told that, if that probation is revoked, he would be at risk of receiving a seven year state prison term. His conviction is a strike.
Charges against the defendant were dropped in the immediate aftermath of the incident to allow, say prosecutors, further investigation to take place. An arrest warrant was later issued and he was brought back to the city in December 2024.
A court heard that Haywood’s girlfriend was trying to pay for parking on a street near Fisherman’s Wharf on June 18 2023 when the pair noticed their car being cased by an auto burglary crew who had been operating with impunity in the area.
Haywood pulled alongside the white Infiniti driven by the group and opened fire, apparently initiating the 59-round gun battle. He was outmanned and outgunned during the ensuing one-and-a-half-mile pursuit, in which cars and pedestrians were hit by the two vehicles and multiple visitors’ cars were struck by gunfire.
He underwent “lengthy surgery” after being shot in the back. His girlfriend, in the front passenger seat, was shot twice. The pair live in Las Vegas and Pittsburg, CA.
On the evening of June 18 2023 an auto burglary crew, that had already smashed their way into several vehicles, was seen by Haywood casing his car — as he and his girlfriend were attempting to secure parking for their city visit.
Matters escalated quickly, with Haywood pulling his black Chevrolet Blazer alongside a white Infiniti Q50 which, he learned, was full of heavily-armed, easily-agitated violent thugs.
Haywood opened fire at close range on the Infiniti, causing passers-by to jump in alarm, with at least one bullet striking and damaging the car.
A one-and-a-half-mile chase ensued along the Embarcadero, unsurprisingly full of tourists and residents enjoying a pleasant summer evening, with Haywood shooting haphazardly over his shoulder as he sped away, while two occupants of the Infiniti leaned out of the car’s windows to bring fire to bear on the Blazer.
During the escapade two occupied vehicles were struck by gunfire near Beach and Stockton Streets, another vehicle was rammed by Haywood’s Blazer, two children walking their bikes across the Embarcadero were hit by the cars – one rolling over the hood of the Infiniti — and both Haywood and his girlfriend received gunshots.
Haywood’s Blazer eventually collided with a MUNI central divider near the intersection of the Embarcadero and Howard Street. The Infiniti circled the Blazer, opened fire once more, and was then seen fleeing across the Bay Bridge moments later. It was later found abandoned in Oakland having been set ablaze.
Investigators would find 59 spent bullet casings scattered across the chase route.
Haywood had an outstanding felony warrant, for firearms possession, at the time of the incident. The court was told that the Sig Sauer p320 he used was stolen.
On April 3 2025 Haywood was sentenced to one year in county jail. He was eligible for ‘half time’ credits, and earlier time in custody was also credited, and he has subsequently been released.
Haywood was also given two years’ probation and was told that he risked a seven year state prison term if he violated his probation conditions and it was revoked.
Of the occupants of the other car involved in the incident, one – Xavier Pittman – was given little more than a time served sentence in March 2024. Another, Jomar Abudullah, was dealt with in juvenile court. Richard Tuiasosopo remains in custody in San Francisco — charged with attempted murder and firearms offenses — although it is not yet clear if he will face trial or whether he too will benefit from an advantageous plea agreement.
A spokesman for San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins defended Haywood’s plea deal today, citing the office’s record of making “fair offers to defendants that ensure accountability based on the totality of the evidence and individual assessment of the case.”
“Each case is unique and is carefully assessed by this office prior to any offers made,” the spokesman said in a statement.
“Mr Haywood’s sentence combined custody time with supervision upon release and allows significant future penalties if there is any future criminal conduct.”
This story has been updated.
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