SAN DIEGO — Authorities Thursday publicly identified the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department officer wounded in a Little Italy shootout that left a double homicide suspect dead.
Patrick Lynch, who has been with the department for two months, suffered a bullet wound to the hip in the Nov. 13 exchange of gunfire with 26- year-old ex-security guard Christopher Farrell, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Farrell was fatally wounded when two of Lynch's harbor police colleagues, Cpl. Jason Day and Officer Alexander Kahn, returned fire, SDPD Lt. Jud Campbell said. Paramedics took the suspect to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Less than an hour before the deadly shootout occurred, Farrell allegedly gunned down a former girlfriend and her husband as the couple was sitting in a car in the 1300 block of Union Street, near the downtown San Diego County courthouse.
The victims, Rachael Martinez, 31, and 39-year-old Jose Medina, died at the scene.
Following the deadly shooting, Farrell allegedly fled north on Ash Street, reloading his gun as he went, Campbell said.
About 45 minutes later, as a police helicopter circled overhead broadcasting a description of the shooter over a loudspeaker system, a bystander flagged down harbor police officers in the area of Kettner Boulevard and West Juniper Street in Little Italy and directed them to a possible suspect, later identified as Farrell.
As the officers approached Farrell -- who was behind a large electrical box, seemingly intending to use it as a shield -- he allegedly opened fire on them.
Two of the officers returned fire, mortally wounding Farrell.
Less than 90 seconds elapsed from the time the officers addressed Farrell to the shooting, Campbell said.
Day has been employed by the Harbor Police Department for about six years, and Kahn for roughly nine.
Lynch, a one-time SDPD officer who was undergoing field training for his new law enforcement job when he was wounded, did not fire his weapon during the shootout, Campbell said.
At the spot where Farrell allegedly fired on the lawmen, detectives found a semiautomatic handgun, shell casings, folding knives and an empty ammunition magazine on the ground, the lieutenant said. During the fatal encounter, the suspect had a knife sheath on the belt of his pants and three more magazines clipped to one of his pants pockets.
Authorities soon determined that the slain woman had recently filed a police report accusing Farrell of domestic violence, including false imprisonment and sex crimes, Campbell said.
Investigating officers subsequently contacted Farrell, who worked for a security services company that contracts with San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, at an MTS office at 1600 Newton Ave. in Barrio Logan and arrested him.
"Farrell was terminated from employment at that same time, and his work firearm was taken from him," Campbell said last week.
On Nov. 7, Martinez was granted a temporary restraining order against Farrell, though it remains unclear if he was served with it. A hearing in the case was scheduled for the day of the double homicide, according to police.
"It appears likely that Martinez and Medina had arrived near the courthouse for the purpose of attending the restraining order hearing," Campbell said.
WATCH: SDPD update on shootings in Downtown and Little Italy (Wednesday, Nov 13 at 2:30 p.m.)
WATCH: SDPD Police Chief gives update on shooting in downtown San Diego (Wednesday, Nov 13 at 10:15 a.m.)
WATCH: Downtown and Little Italy Shooting | Port of SD Harbor Police Chief gives update on officer shot (Wednesday, Nov 13 at 12:55 p.m.)