SAN DIEGO -- San Diego police publicly identified today three officers who fatally shot a 59-year-old man wielding a replica pistol at a San Ysidro apartment complex earlier this week.
Officers Jonathan Wells, Brandon Lull and Jeffrey McCoy opened fire on Alberto Hernandez of San Diego as he raised the realistic-looking model gun in their direction while exiting an apartment in the 1100 block of West San Ysidro Boulevard shortly after 1 a.m. Monday, according to San Diego police Lt. Paul
Rorrison. Wells and Lull had both been with the San Diego Police Department for a year, and McCoy for 18 months.
The events that led to the shooting began when a man called 911 and said he wanted to shoot a woman, then hung up, according to Rorrison. Wells, Lull and McCoy were among patrol personnel who went to the second-floor residence from which the call was made.
They began evacuating people from neighboring apartments after Hernandez allegedly pointed the fake semi-automatic handgun at them then slammed the door. He then came out and advanced toward the officers pointing the imitation gun at them, Rorrison said.
"The suspect was given several verbal commands to drop the weapon, but he refused to comply," the lieutenant said. "Fearing for their safety and the safety of the public, three San Diego Police officers discharged their weapons, striking the suspect."
Hernandez was taken to a hospital, where he died from his wounds. Following the shooting, investigators discovered that the weapon the suspect had been wielding was a fake, Rorrison said.
A 59-year-old woman was found unharmed inside the apartment the suspect had been in, authorities said.
