Atascadero State Hospital Hostage Released in San Francisco

KPIX-TV news footage from May 27 1968 with reporter Pat O'Brien featuring a press conference with Atascadero State Hospital psychiatric technician Frank A. Svehla (1921-2001) at the San Francisco Hall of Justice, who has just been released by escapees Gerard Gallant and George Quinlan. Gallant, Quinlan and Robert Higuera escaped from Atascadero on May 26 at gunpoint in Svelha's station wagon then changed cars, ditched injured security staff Sergeant Dave Baro and Robin Moore at Avila Beach, before driving up to San Francisco. Svehla, who'd worked at Atascadero for over 5 years, describes his experience as a hostage and there are also views of the block where he was let go in the Potrero District and scenes of a San Francisco police dispatcher updating law enforcement about the escapees, over police radio.

Note: this 16mm film reversal print was remastered in 4K (4096 x 2970) using our new Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in December 2020.