Officer Involved Shooting in Mesa College 

August 3, 2023 - San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that on August 2, 2023, at about 1:23 a.m., SDPD received a call from a 26-year-old victim, stating a shooting had occurred outside his residence in the 3500 block of Ben Street in San Diego. The victim was not injured. The incident had started minutes earlier on the roadways. A white Tesla sedan was driving erratically. When the victim drove around the Tesla, he heard a gunshot. The Tesla followed the victim to the location he parked. A passenger got out of the Tesla and fired rounds at the victim. One of those rounds went into a residence near the victim's vehicle. No residents were injured. The Tesla drove away.

Officers searched the area and located the Tesla. They saw the suspect, a 33-year-old male, in the driver's seat with a handgun in his hands. The officers tried to initiate a high-risk vehicle stop, but the suspect drove away. SDPD was able to locate the Tesla on the Mesa College campus after a single vehicle collision. The driver's door was open and no one was inside the vehicle. Shortly after, officers located the suspect on foot on Mesa College Circle. The suspect had a gun in his possession and was talking on the phone.

Officers gave verbal commands to the suspect who was non-compliant and acting erratic. The suspect was armed with a handgun that he placed underneath his left armpit. The suspect made multiple movements grabbing the gun with his right hand while talking on his cellphone. After multiple verbal commands, the suspect began walking toward an open lot. A K9 officer deployed his patrol canine partner, Sir, toward the suspect. The suspect rotated his body to the right and simultaneously drew his handgun from his armpit. This prompted one officer to fire one round from his rifle, striking the suspect in the upper left area of his torso. The suspect also fired one round.

Officers provided medical aid to the suspect before he was transported to Scripps Hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries at around 3:20 a.m. His name is being withheld until notification of his family can be made.

No officers were injured. K9 Sir was struck in the upper right chest by the round discharged by the suspect. K9 Sir was taken to a veterinarian clinic but later succumbed to his injuries. (See related article link below)

Per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the officer-involved-shooting investigation.  At this stage of the investigation, the motivation and circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. Detectives are currently gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Multiple witnesses saw the suspect with the firearm at the time of the shooting.

The investigation and review process for officer-involved shootings are extremely thorough. When the Homicide Unit completes its investigation, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions. The San Diego Police Department will conduct an administrative investigation into the officer’s discharge of his firearm.  The Commission on Police Practices (CPP) will conduct a review of the incident and provide any appropriate recommendations. The Department of Justice was notified of the above incident and declined to respond. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office will also be monitoring the investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 565-5200.  You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

Related: San Diego Police K9 Sir Dies from Injuries After Mesa College Area Shooting