Feb. 6, 2023 When Chula Vista police went to talk with a man during a disturbance call, he removed a blanket in front of him to reveal he was holding a knife to another man’s throat.
By Karen Kucher Source The San Diego Union-Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A Chula Vista police officer shot and injured a man who was holding a knife to the throat of another man in an apartment stairwell Saturday night, San Diego police said.
The man shot was hit in the head and was not expected to survive, said San Diego police homicide Lt. Jud Campbell.
Police were called to an apartment complex on Moss Street near Oaklawn Avenue around 7:45 p.m. by residents who said two homeless people were possibly setting up camp in the stairwell. Callers said the men were banging on doors, yelling and possibly using drugs or dealing with mental illness.
When officers arrived, they saw one man in the stairwell, but when they went to talk with him, he moved a blanket from in front of him and revealed he was holding another man hostage and had a knife to his throat, Campbell said.
Officers gave the assailant commands and called for additional units. One of the officers who arrived was a member of Chula Vista’s crisis negotiation team and he talked with the man, who continued yelling at the officers and threatening to kill the hostage, pressing the knife to his throat. The man with the knife continued ignoring commands, Campbell said.
A group of officers, including a canine officer who also is on the department’s SWAT team, climbed through a balcony and entered an apartment to the side of the staircase where the knife-wielding man was.
“The canine officer unlocked and cracked the apartment door open,” Campbell said in a statement. “At that point, the officer fired his department-issued rifle at the suspect, striking him in the head.”
Officers rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived. He was taken to a hospital but was not expected to survive, Campbell said. His identity was not known.
The hostage was able to get away and ran. The 34-year-old man was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries to his neck. The victim is homeless and told police did not know his attacker before he was forced to go into the apartment complex, Campbell said.
The officer involved in the shooting has worked for the Chula Vista Police Department for around five years. His name was not released. No other injuries were reported.
San Diego homicide detectives are investigating the incident under a countywide protocol that ensures no law enforcement agency investigates its own police shootings.
Campbell said there was body-worn camera footage of the shooting which will be reviewed by detectives. When the police investigation is completed, the case will be reviewed by the county District Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be brought against the officer.
The Chula Vista Police Department also will conduct an administrative investigation into the shooting.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was asked to call San Diego police at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.