San Diego Police Department Facebook
Two California police officers have been placed on paid leave after shooting and wounding a man during a dispute Saturday night.
According to a Facebook statement, the San Diego Police officers saw a 25-year-old “Hispanic” man” at 5:45 p.m. in downtown. The man matched the description for a wanted poster regarding a June 21 robbery, the department continued.
Capt. Richard Freedman of the Homicide Unit told NBC 7 that the man walked away when police approached him. After the officers ordered him to stop, he “reached in into his waistband and grabbed a gun,” the captain said to the station.
Police officers then shot and wounded the suspect.
“He produced a handgun and then pointed it at the officers” said SDPD Capt. Rich Freedman to ABC 10. “For fear that they were going to be shot, the officers return fire.”
The man was transported to a hospital with unknown injuries, NBC 7 added. He was slated to have surgery late Saturday night.
No officers were reported injured.
The Homicide Unit is investigating the incident and the officers are currently on paid administrative leave, the SDPD Facebook page announced. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI will also oversee the investigation.
Although the suspect involved in the shooting has been identified, police are not yet releasing his name, according to CBS 8.
Here is what we know about the shooting so far:
Hundreds of Protesters are Calling for Justice and Transparency
Over a hundred people still protesting downtown, on the block where a man was shot by SDPD hours ago. Police are photographing and documenting the scene of the shooting.
As nationwide protests over police reform and racial equality continue to take place following the death of George Floyd, nearly 120 protesters gathered around San Diego Police late Saturday night, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Standing behind police tape, many onlookers were yelling “hands up, don’t shoot,” while others brought candles and flowers, the newspaper continued.
NBC7 reported that the windows of a police car were vandalized.
A San Diego Police vehicle has been vandalized in downtown San Diego in response to today’s officer-involved shooting.
Widespread calls for video footage of the incident, such as body-worn cameras, quickly circulated.
“I’m calling for the @SanDiegoPD body worn camera footage of the 6th ave. & B st. officer involved shooting tonight,” said President and CEO of the People’s Alliance for Justice Shane Harris on Twitter. “I also expect the Citizens Review Board to review this incident. I’m not jumping to conclusions on what happened or who is at fault. I am asking for transparency.”
The San Diego Untion-Tribune said police promised to release the footage “as soon as we can.”
Police Say a Gun Has Been Recovered From the Scene
On Sunday, SDPD tweeted a screenshot of nearby surveillance camera’s footage showing at least one of the two officers drawing a gun. A man sporting red is pointing an unidentified object at the officer.
Police tweeted out a second photo of a gun they claim to have recovered from the scene. The gun in the picture boasts a camouflage-print cloth around a wooden handgun grip.
“It is not known at this time if the man fired at the officers,” SDPD said to NBC 7.
More details surrounding the alleged robbery will be released in the near future, according to NBC 7, but preliminary information indicated a suspect “struck someone and stole some property.”
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