March 27--As police search for two suspects, residents in a bustling San Francisco neighborhood expressed shock over the slaying of a British tourist that was caught on surveillance video.
Paul Tam, 44, was stabbed in the head Feb. 18 on Post Street. The video shows a robber chasing and then attacking the 44-year-old tourist in the middle of the street.
Tam died Thursday, officials said. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Tam was from Manchester and worked in information technology. He apparently was visiting a family member who lived in the area.
Residents said the area is popular with tourists but that this level of violence was rare.
"You hear about, every once in a while, you hear about something happening on Van Ness, like a scuffle for something, but not a stabbing or a homicide or anything like that," resident John Schneider told KGO-TV.
"It's a little bit scary because there's so many people here from all over the place," added Angela Macias.
Other residents expressed outrage over the brazen attack.
Authorities said police were looking for two suspects and asked anyone who was in the area of Post between Franklin and Gough streets to contact police.
Police told the San Francisco Chronicle that the victim was stabbed in the head after a man and woman tried to steal his messenger bag. The police said the two scuffled over the messenger bag before the stabbing. The Chronicle said the man was walking near his niece's home.
shelby.grad@latimes.com
