August 17, 2023 - San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that on August 15, 2023, at about 6:45 p.m., San Diego Police 
Department detectives were serving a search warrant for an apartment in the 6100 block of El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego. The subject of the search warrant was identified by their detectives as the outstanding suspect in a shooting that occurred on August 2, 2023. That shooting was the catalyst for the radio call that SDPD responded to and eventually ended in an OIS at Mesa College.
SDPD detectives set up a perimeter on the apartment building and conducted a contain and call-out procedure. They made phone calls inside the apartment, did call-outs directly outside of the apartment and gave verbal commands and warnings. The suspect eventually exited the apartment with what appeared to be a handgun in his hand. Officers gave the suspect commands to drop the gun, which he eventually did. Officers gave the suspect commands to move away from the handgun which was on the ground near his feet. The suspect refused and kept looking at the gun. Despite multiple warnings and commands from the officers, the suspect quickly lunged to grab the gun. This prompted one of the officers to discharge his firearm multiple times. The suspect was struck with at least one round and went to the ground. Officers provided medical aid, but the suspect succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by paramedics around 7:00 p.m. The suspect's name is being withheld pending family notification.
No officers or civilians were injured. Residents of the building were evacuated for their safety. Multiple residents made statements that they heard the officers giving commands and then heard gunshots.
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 circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. Detectives are currently gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and examining the circumstances surrounding 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 state 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.
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
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