Woman Seen Leaning Out of Car Window Holding AK-47 in San Francisco

The San Francisco Police Department released a photograph Wednesday of a woman leaning out of a moving car while holding an AK-47 assault rifle.

It is not known at this time if police have identified the woman or arrested any suspects. The department's message about the photo, posted on Twitter, indicated the Cadillac in which the woman was pictured was seized on Wednesday.

Newsweek reached out for comment and further details from the San Francisco police but did not hear back before publication.

"On 7/11/2021, During an illegal exhibition of speed event at Barneveld & McKinnon, a passenger leaned out of a Cadi holding an AK47; see photo. SFPD Traffic Company personnel worked up a case, and seized this particular vehicle today," the police said on Twitter.

The tweet included a photo of the woman holding the weapon, as well as a second picture of a Cadillac surrounded by police vehicles while it was being attached to a tow truck.

The police department's message said the woman was seen during "an illegal exhibition of speed event." California Vehicle Code 23109 defines an "exhibition of speed" as a crime related to speed contests. Such contests could include street racing, drag racing or an exhibition of speed by one or more motor vehicles on a public street, highway or freeway.

Engaging in a speed contest in California is usually a misdemeanor for first-time offenders. It is punishable by between one and 90 days in jail and between $355 and $1,000 in court fines.

An AK-47, officially called the Avtomat Kalashnikova, is an assault rifle that was originally developed in the Soviet Union. The "47" refers to the year it was first introduced, 1947. The gun has been widely copied, and it is not clear if the woman in the picture in San Francisco is holding an authentic AK-47 or an imitation version.

The city has reported an increase in shootings and assaults during the first six months of 2021. In July, Police Chief Bill Scott said the city reported 119 shootings in the first half of the year, compared with 58 during the same period last year.

"We're almost double where we were in the last two years, and that is a huge concern," Scott said during a July 12 press conference about the police department's midyear report.

On July 29, the Council on Criminal Justice released a report on crimes committed during the pandemic. The independent organization found that homicides had increased 16 percent across the nation during the first half of 2021 from the same period in 2020. The number was 42 percent higher than the same time frame in 2019.