SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - It was a frightening day for people living in the Mountainview neighborhood that was the focus of a nine-hour SWAT standoff.
It started just after 1 a.m. when police tried to pull over the driver of a reported stolen car. That was in the area of Barrio Logan. The driver took off, leading police on an hour-long chase that involved multiple freeways.
The suspect finally ditched the car near Logan and 45th and took off running through the apartment complexes. Investigators say he opened fire on an officer, hitting him at least twice.
The chief said the officer's bulletproof vest saved his life. The suspect ran into a vacant home on 44th Street.
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Jimmy Pahlo lives a few doors down and heard the commotion.
"They brought SWAT trucks all that, maybe like five cars as they were running down," Pahlo said. "They told me to stay inside because there was an armed suspect."
His mom, Queenie Brooks, said also heard the commotion.
"Next thing I know, it was just noises, more noise, more bangs, more booms," Brooks said. "I thought, 'what is going on?'" "And there was SWAT up and down."
Police used several non-lethal tactics like tear gas, flash bangs, and a robot to try to get the guy to come out.
At one point, police said they determined the suspect was unconscious. That's when officers moved in and discovered the man was overdosing. They gave him Narcan, and he was safely taken into custody.
Brooks is glad it ended without anyone else getting hurt.
"If they say that somebody shot the police, that’s very unnerving to have somebody in the area that’s dangerous like that," she said. "And there’s children in the area."
