SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8/CNS) — Two San Diego police officers shot and wounded in a standoff in the College Area over the weekend are recovering Monday.
Neither officers' name has been released, though one is a three-year veteran of the department and the other has been with the city's force for nearly two decades.
The shootout led to a SWAT team response where officers confronted the barricaded suspect in a two-hour standoff. The suspect was found dead inside the apartment.
Both officers were shot and wounded during the incident, one seriously. One officer, a three-year veteran of the department, was listed in serious, but stable condition, at an area hospital. The second officer, an 18-year veteran of the department, was listed in stable condition.
Both men are expected to survive their injuries, said San Diego police chief David Nisleit during a 7:30 a.m. news conference at police headquarters. According to officials, officers called for backup minutes after responding to the 4800 block of Rolando Court.
The incident started around 10:15 p.m. when a resident called 911 to say they heard their neighbor screaming and throwing items.
Three responding officers knocked on the door of a unit, but no one answered.
Then they smelled smoke and called in the fire department who opened the door with an axe.
"Officers made a decision to open the door. Before they did that they, though, they knocked on the door and asked the occupant to respond," said Nisleit. "Upon opening the door, they were met by gunfire. During that time, officers returned fire. Two officers [were] struck by gunfire."
A firefighter ducked into a next-door apartment for cover.
One officer was hit multiple times, the other just once.
Instead of waiting for medics, officers decided to take them in their squad cars to nearby hospitals where doctors stabilized them.
Meanwhile, neighbors huddled in their apartments waiting for the all-clear
One neighbor said she was less than a block away when the gunfire started. She said she had just left her apartment but her roommate was still inside.
"She said it was really scary," said the neighbor. "They were on the floor; they heard glass shattering and repetitive fire. She said she was texting me with tears in her eyes."
A SWAT team continued to confront the barricaded suspect in a standoff that lasted more than two hours. "We had to do quite a few evacuations," Nisleit said.
Officers from across the county also rushed to help. They made a plan first to rescue the firefighter then to enter the unit where they found the suspect dead.
It's not known whether he was killed in the crossfire, from a self-inflicted wound or another way. Two of three officers had fired shots.
The name of the suspect will be released pending notification of next of kin, Nisleit said.
"He does have a criminal history," said Chief Nisleit. "We've responded to this location numerous times over the last several years."
Meanwhile the injured officers are beginning the long road to making a full recovery.
"Families are doing well, but it's a tough day," said Nisleit. "They're being supported by department members, our chaplains and their families."
The investigation is ongoing. The San Diego Police Officers Association is collecting donations for the injured officers at its website, SDPOA.org.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
Content warning: This raw cell phone video of the shooting may be disturbing to some viewers and it includes adult language:
