A man under arrest was shot by police officers Sunday night after he managed to slip out of his handcuffs and access an officer's back-up gun, the San Diego Police Department said.
The shooting was reported at the San Diego Police headquarters in downtown.
SDPD Capt. Rich Freedman said officers were responding to a call at a hotel downtown of a man who threatened their security guards. Hotel security told police that man was acting strangely and they took him off grounds.
Officers were able to take the 25-year-old into custody without incident and transported him to SDPD headquarters. However, the man slipped his handcuffs off and gained access to a backpack in the back seat of the SUV, where an officer kept a secondary handgun.
"They went to go check on him and saw that the male was armed and they ended up backing up, drawing their handguns and backing up," Capt. Freedman said. "It was during that time the male presented the handgun, the officers felt threatened and at least three officers fired at least one round, striking the male as he was seated in the vehicle."
Authorities said the man refused to drop the weapon and fired at least one round before officers opened fire. He was struck by fire at least once in the upper body.
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The man then reached out the car window and opened the door, exiting the vehicle with the handgun still in possession. After not complying with demands to stop, a K-9 was deployed.
The dog bit the man before officers were able to handcuff him again. Police said the man was then taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
No officers were injured in the confrontation. Although SDPD did not name the officers involved in the shooting, the department said they have been with them for 8 years, 6 years and months, respectively.
The identity of the male suspect was also not released, but he was said to be a 25-year-old San Diego resident.
The investigation is ongoing.
No other information was available.
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