SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A suspect who got into a scuffle with two officers following a brief foot chase in Oak Park Friday afternoon was fatally wounded when one of them opened fire, authorities reported.
The events that led to the fatal shooting began about 3:40 p.m., as the patrol personnel tried to contact the man in the 2900 block of 54th Street, according to San Diego police.
The suspect became "extremely agitated" and bolted, and the officers gave chase as he fled to the east, Lt. Matt Dobbs told reporters.
After running into the street and through a patch of shrubbery, the man faced off with the officers and began grappling with them, Dobbs said.
During the struggle, one officer felt the suspect grab his service pistol and yank it off his belt, still in its holster, according to Dobbs.
"Not only was the suspect grabbing at the officer's gun, but in fact he ripped the gun and the holster completely from the officer's belt," Dobbs told reporters.
The officer alerted his partner, who then fired a single round at the man.
The unidentified suspect, who appeared to be in his 30s or 40s, died at the scene, Dobbs said.
It was not immediately clear why the officers decided to attempt to initially contact the man.
Police closed traffic lanes around the site of the shooting to allow investigators to gather evidence. The closures were expected to continue into the late evening.
A statement by police said:
The investigation and review process for any officer-involved shooting is extremely thorough. According to SDPD, once the Homicide Unit completes their investigation, it will then be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions. The Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an investigation to determine if there were any policy violations, 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 be monitoring the investigation.
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