SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Diego man claimed four off-duty San Diego Police officers beat up him outside of a local bar.
“I have a laceration on the back of my head, three staples, a lot of bruises a lot of cuts on the face,” said Jonathan Felix.
Standing in his attorney’s office, Jonathan Felix described a November night he’ll never forget.
"All I remember is waking up in my own pool of blood a few times,” Felix told 10News.
Felix said that after working a shift at a restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter, he stopped by a Mission Valley bar for a drink.
He said he lives nearby and uses its parking lot because parking in the area is scarce.
According to Felix, before he headed home for the night, he saw four men standing near his car. He said he didn’t know them, but wanted to make sure the valuables he had in his vehicle were safe.
He said after a few interactions with the guys, they didn't leave and appeared to be intoxicated.
He claimed the men never identified themselves as San Diego Police officers.
"I felt threatened for my life,” Felix said.
Felix's attorney said at some point, Jonathan Felix pulled a gun and held it at his side. The officers surrounded him, and the situation escalated.
The San Diego Police department saw it differently, calling the off-duty officers victims of assault with a deadly weapon.
In a statement the department sent 10News after the November incident, a spokesperson wrote:
We did have four off-duty officers that were victims of an assault with a deadly weapon outside in the parking lot located at 10400 San Diego Mission Road on Wednesday morning. Jonathan Felix pulled a loaded firearm and pointed it at them. They responded to the threat, disarmed the male, and took him into custody.
A surveillance camera from a nearby business recorded the incident.
Felix's attorney, Douglas Gilliland, showed 10News parts of the video.
The video did not show what happened before Felix pulled the gun, what led up to it or what was said.
"Basically you have a citizen confronted by four drunk males, one of which has a bar tab of over $100, five shots of Jägermeister, four shots of whiskey approaching a citizen in the parking lot,” said Gilliland.
In a statement sent to 10News on late Friday afternoon after the release of the surveillance video, a San Diego Police Department spokesperson wrote:
The San Diego Police Department submitted a criminal case to the District Attorney’s Office regarding this incident, in which Mr. Felix pulled a gun on four off-duty police officers. He has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a controlled substance. Mr. Felix is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the full facts of this case will be litigated as the criminal case proceeds. As in any situation where there are allegations of misconduct, the San Diego Police Department has initiated an internal investigation. If found, any misconduct will be handled accordingly.
A spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office also sent 10News a statement saying:
The defendant was a felon illegally in possession of a loaded gun, ammunition and cocaine who drew his weapon on the officers first. As this case moves through the court process, the totality of the evidence will provide important context to what occurred prior to, during and after this incident. As always, the DA's Office reviews every case with the goal of fair and equal justice.
Felix and his civil attorney plan to file a lawsuit. He will appear in court next week for a preliminary hearing on the felony charge.
