SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego Police say a man has died after an officer-involved shooting in the City Heights area on Thursday.
SDPD officers responded to reports of a man with a gun in the 4200 block of Menlo Ave. at about 4 p.m., according to SDPD Lt. Matt Dobbs.
Police say two women were driving in the area when they were confronted by a man with a handgun.
"The man manipulated the slide of the gun as if he were loading it and pointed the gun towards the women," according to a SDPD news release. The women drove away and then called 911.
Officers arrived to find the man and demanded he drop the gun.
“The male initially complied and raised his hands, at which point a firearm fell from his clothing onto the ground near him, they continued giving him directions to back away from the weapon, but he refused to comply," Dobbs said.
Officers had requested a K-9 unit to assist in the arrest, but as they waited, the man picked up the gun and pointed it at officers, Dobbs said.
Several officers shot at the man after he pointed the gun at them, according to Dobbs.
Police say he was shot at least once, but he was moving and was in control of the weapon and had it pointed in the officers’ direction, prompting a second volley of shots. The officers continued trying to get him to move away from the weapon. When they got no response, police say a combination of non-lethal options, including a bean bag round and canine, were used to take him into custody.
The man was given medical aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released, but police say he appears to be a Hispanic or light-skinned African-American man in this 30s or 40s.
Police say a weapon was recovered however, it has not yet been determined if the weapon was real or operational.
SDPD says seven officers fired shots.
No officers were reportedly injured.
After the department's Homicide Unit completes its investigation, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office will look at the incident to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions.
The Internal Affairs Unit will also conduct an investigation, and the Shooting Review Board will evaluate the tactics used by the officers.
The Community Review Board on Police Practices will conduct a review of the incident and provide any appropriate recommendations. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office will also monitor the investigation.
The suspect has been identified as Richard Lewis Price, 49. Seven San Diego Police Officers discharged their service weapons, according to police. The officers were identified as David Burns, a 4-year veteran of the department, Joshua Clabough, a 13-year veteran, Kevin Cummings, a nearly 12-year veteran, Jason Gonzalez, a 4-year veteran, Joshua Lieber, a nearly 4-year veteran, Miles McArdle, a 7-month veteran, and Ace Ybanez, a 5-year veteran with the department. The officers are being placed on administrative duty.
