SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A 33-year-old man who shot and killed a police dog was shot to death by an officer during a standoff at the Mesa College campus in Clairemont early Wednesday morning.
San Diego County sheriff's officials stated, "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 St 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."
San Diego Police officers later located the Tesla at an apartment complex on Armstrong Street. Sheriff's Lt. Joseph Jarjura said officers saw the 33-year-old man had a gun.
Officers surrounded the car "to initiate a high-risk vehicle stop," but the driver sped away, leading police on a half-mile chase.
Police eventually spotted the Tesla with its driver's side door open after it had crashed on Mesa College Drive, near the college's Continuing Education building. Officers found the suspect wielding a gun nearby, and they gave him orders to drop it.
The man — as he was talking on a cellphone — refused to comply, and officers released a K-9 to subdue him. At that point, the gunman raised his firearm, and officers opened fire, video captured by the ABC 10News' Breaking News Tracker showed.
The suspect was struck in the upper left area of his torso and he fired one time, shooting the dog in the upper right chest.
The K-9, later identified as Sir, was rushed to an animal hospital but died after arrival.
The unidentified suspect was rushed to Scripps Hospital where died from his injuries around 3:20 a.m., police said.
San Diego Police posted the following heartfelt message on their Facebook page:
In a tweet, the San Diego Police Officers Association stated: “A violent shooting suspect killed one of our K-9 dogs this morning. Our dog saved the lives of the officers and citizens in the area. RIP. The suspect is no longer a threat and the officers and innocent victims of the shooting are uninjured.”
Per county protocol, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting aspect of the incident.
In a statement, San Diego Community College District said of Wednesday morning’s shooting:
Early this morning, a police-involved shooting took place on the Mesa College campus along Mesa College Circle near Lot 1. The incident involved officers from the San Diego Police Department who were pursuing a suspect. Currently, there is no indication that anyone from the college was involved.
All regular work, classes, services, and activities are expected to continue today. The campus is secure and people should report to work as usual. A police investigation is currently underway and lots 1, 2 and 3 will be closed until further notice, as will Mesa College Circle near the athletics fields. College Police will be directing people to park in other locations and parking enforcement will be suspended today. The lower campus will accessible via the Genesee Avenue/Marlesta Drive entrance.
Thanks for your cooperation. Additional updates will be shared as more information becomes available. For additional information on campus parking and access, contact College Police Dispatch at 619-388-6405.
