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A man in a College Area condominium fired on San Diego police and firefighters on Saturday night, wounding two police officers and causing a SWAT operation that ended with confirmation of the suspect's death.
Injured police were rushed to hospital, where one of them remained in serious condition but was stable and one was stable with less serious injuries, said police chief David Nisleit.
At a press conference Sunday morning, the chief confirmed that the police should completely recover from their injuries.
"If you can imagine, when you hear 11-99 (officer needs help) go out on a police radio, it's the worst call you can ever have," Nisleit told reporters. . "… when you receive this call, your stomach runs and you hope that no one dies."
The officers, both male, have three and 18 years of experience in the force. Their names have not been released.
Captain Mike Hastings said at a news conference at 7:30 am that investigators were waiting for a search warrant to be approved so that they could enter the apartment where the shooting was taking place. took place. He said that homicide teams were on the scene to question witnesses.
He said the investigators would likely stay at the condo complex, dealing with the scene, for the next eight to 10 hours.
Three police officers went to Tuscany Place condominiums at Rolando Court, north of El Cajon Boulevard, after someone called 911 to report a violent disturbance at around 10:15 pm.
When the officers arrived, they knocked on the door and did not get an answer. However, they felt what appeared to be smoke coming from the first-floor unit and called the San Diego fire department for backup, said Nisleit.
When they forced the door, "they were greeted with gunshots," said the chief, confirming that two officers had been hit.
At least two officers were able to fight back, he said. Several rounds in the shootout pierced neighboring units.
Injured policemen and a firefighter were removed from the building on a ladder, the police said.
"I want to thank all the local law enforcement agencies and the fire department for such a quick response, to get to the scene quickly, to get the care our officers need and to transport them to local hospitals." … "Nisleit said.
Another firefighter hid in a unit next to the suspect and was saved about an hour later without being injured.
Officers from all over the county rushed to the scene. They quickly surrounded the three-story complex, closed the streets and worked to evacuate nearby tenants. A police helicopter looked from the top.
At 11:20 pm, officers arrested a possible suspect and promptly arrested him. But they found in a few moments that he was not the shooter.
A tactical robot was able to open the suspect's entrance door around 12:15 pm, and a camera spotted it on the ground with apparent head trauma and wore what looked like armor, according to the scanner's traffic. police. After a more thorough robotic search, a police dog came in and bit the suspect on the leg. After receiving no response from the man, the police determined that he had died shortly before 1 pm.
The investigators did not determine whether the man was killed in the shooting or possibly by a self-inflicted bullet wound. Authorities did not disclose his name nor confirmed that he was the resident of the 30-year-old unit.
Nisleit added that the police had been called to this condo in the past, but that she had not specified.
Some residents said that they had been warned of a "weird guy" who lived on the first floor but who was unable to provide additional details. Some said that they would hear her screaming sometimes.
A man who lives on the second floor above the suspect said in an email that the man had been placed in a psychiatric facility after drilling a hole in his wall about 18 months ago.
After being released and returned, we could hear her screaming sometimes, said the other resident.
"I had no idea that he was armed, and I am very grateful for all that the SDP has done tonight," said the resident.
The stray bullets went into another man's unit a few steps away from the suspect.
He said he saw three police officers heading towards the man's apartment and knocking repeatedly, ordering the man to open the door. They called the fire department and used an ax on the door.
"I heard them knocking on the door, then I heard gunshots, I panicked, lying on the floor," said the man, who did not give his name. "There was plaster from my wall on my couch and carpet, crawling up to the window."
He said the bullets entered his walls from the hallway, but did not go to the end. A knock on his couch.
He moved to his room and waited for the agents to pass and ordered him to escape through the window. He sat in a police car for about two hours, until the Red Cross volunteers arrived with drinks and blankets for the residents who evacuated without jackets or shoes.
Matthew Bezrouch, who lives within a few doors of the suspect, said he heard a barrage of at least 20 rounds after the police tried to force the door.
"It was fast," Bezrouch said. "They were shouting" two officers downstairs, bleeding! "
After the arrival of several officers, Bezrouch said he heard a last shot.
Police said most of the resort's 100 units had been evacuated, although some residents decided to retreat during the SWAT operation. Officers conducted welfare checks on the suspect's nearest neighbors to ensure that no one was injured by stray bullets.
Megan Ashdown, 23, and her boyfriend William Blood, 24, who had moved into the building two weeks ago, were watching TV when they heard 15 gunshots or more.
"It looked like automatic gunshots," said Blood.
"We went to bed, we closed the door and turned off the lights," Ashdown said. "We were too scared to look out the window." Some time later, the police knocked on their door and escorted them down an officer-lined corridor and down a safe stairway.
The scene drew a number of spectators who stood on the corners of the street filming videos of mobile phones and listening to the drama unfolding on the police scanner applications. Dozens of police patrol vehicles lined El Cajon Boulevard, flooded with red and blue lights.
The Red Cross helps those who remain displaced during the investigation, which the chief acknowledged "will take some time". At 2 am some residents were escorted home.
Writer Gary Warth contributed to this report.
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