6/3/2014
SF explosives suspect Ryan Chamberlain
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SAN FRANCISCO —
An FBI spokesman announced Sunday afternoon that 42-year-old San Francisco resident Ryan Chamberlain is being sought in a federal investigation for possession of explosive materials and should be considered armed and dangerous.
FBI agent Peter Lee said that Ryan Kelly Chamberlain II is the man who lives in the apartment building on Jackson Street in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood that was the focus of Saturday's FBI operation that closed off the block for 15 hours.
Chamberlain is described as 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 225 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. Lee said Chamberlain was last seen south of San Francisco wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans driving white 2008 Nissan Altima. The vehicle is registered in Texas and may have a California or Texas license plates of either 7FQY085 or BX9M042.
During the news briefing outside of the FBI's San Francisco office, Lee said that reports that Chamberlain may have had poisonous Ricin at his apartment were not true. He also confirmed that there was no danger of chemical or biological agents in what was found at his residence.
Lee encouraged the public to keep an eye out for Chamberlain and the suspect vehicle and to immediately report any sightings to authorities.
Law enforcement officers throughout the state and nation have been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect, Lee said at Sunday's news briefing. Lee said that the suspect should be approached with caution if located by police.
"Anyone who possesses explosives should be considered armed and dangerous," he said.
However, the spokesman said, "He has not made any threats that I know of...there is no threat to public safety at this time that we know of."
The block of Jackson Street where the apartment building is located finally reopened early Sunday morning after FBI investigators completed the search and hazmat incident.
Investigators finally left the scene at around 12:30 a.m. after completing their search of an apartment building on Jackson between Van Ness and Polk streets.
An FBI agent confirmed to KTVU that San Francisco resident Chamberlain was being sought in their investigation earlier Sunday morning.
On Sunday, KTVU also spoke to the owner and the manager of the apartment building where Chamberlain lived.
Building owner Martin Harband said Chamberlain rented the ground floor apartment for past two years. Harband said Chamberlain "seemed normal" and gave no outward signs of suspicious behavior.
Harband told KTVU the apartment remained sealed with police tape and off limits. He said he had no idea what the FBI was looking for in their search.
The building manager, who did not want to be identified, told KTVU that the building’s laundry room was also sealed off in the wake of the investigation.
The manager said she last saw Chamberlain two weeks ago at a tenant barbeque, where he gave no indication that anything was wrong.
Neighbor Patricia Barlow has an office next to Chamberlain's apartment and saw him regularly.
"He just didn't seem the type, but never judge a book by cover," said Barlow. "He's very friendly. He's a nice looking fellow. He's quiet -- you always have to start the conversation with him it's never vice versa."
KTVU has learned Chamberlain was involved in sports marketing, taught a semester at University of San Francisco in 2011, and was active in political circles.
"I was shocked. It blew me away," said Howard Epstein, the past chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.
Epstein said he worked with Chamberlain years ago before Chamberlain switched sides and joined the Democratic Party's efforts.
"The only one I know that he worked with after he left the party was Gavin Newsom. He was an organizer when Gavin ran for mayor," said Epstein.
Alex Clemens of Barbary Coast Consulting hired him as a contractor for about a month back in 2009 and has known him through political circles for more than a decade. He described Chamberlain as a competent political operative.
"He worked every cycle on a campaign, or two or three, and you don't survive in the very high stakes of San Francisco politics without being competent," said Clemens.
h/t: mike
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