Ballistic vest likely saved San Diego police officer who was shot during chase, chief says

A San Diego police officer was shot while pursuing a suspect in a stolen car who then holed up in a home for nine hours Monday, officials said.

The officer, who has been on the force a year and a half, is expected to recover. Police Chief David Nisleit said the officer’s ballistic vest probably saved his life, along with fellow officers’ quick responses to render medical aid and rush him to a hospital.

The shooter — who Nisleit said used a 9-millimeter “ghost gun” — barricaded himself in a vacant townhouse in the Mountain View neighborhood and kept the SWAT team at bay until about 10:30 a.m., when the team entered and found him unresponsive. Ghost guns are firearms without serial numbers that are often assembled from kits, making them untraceable.

Officers revived the man with naloxone — a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose — and brought him out of the home on a stretcher. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

He is expected to be arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer and other charges, Nisleit said at an afternoon news conference at the San Diego Police Department’s downtown headquarters.

Nisleit said he has already been in contact with Dist. Atty. Summer Stephan and prosecutors in her office regarding the potential criminal case.

“I’m going to ask that he be held fully accountable for this,” Nisleit said. “Again, this is a person that, in my opinion, lied in wait and shot a police officer.”

San Diego police set up a perimeter around a Mountain View home where a suspect accused of shooting a police officer was holed up for nine hours Monday.

(OnScene.TV)

The department identified the suspect as Andrew Garcia, 21, of San Diego. Nisleit said the wounded officer works in patrol in Central Division but did not release his name.

Nisleit grew emotional, his eyes filling with tears, as he spoke about the injured officer. “This is family,” he said.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria expressed his appreciation for officers’ dedication to public safety.

“Lawlessness will not rule the day in this city,” the mayor said. “I’m just grateful to God that this officer is safe.”

He called the officer a “superhero” and wished him a speedy recovery. “This city is pulling for you,” Gloria said.

The incident began shortly after 12:20 a.m. when police spotted a stolen Toyota 4Runner and tried to pull over the driver on Main Street in Barrio Logan, Homicide Unit Lt. Steve Shebloski said. Homicide detectives handle the investigation when officers are shot and injured or killed.

The suspect sped off, kicking off a roughly hourlong pursuit, Shebloski said. Police chased the car for several miles, but the driver was speeding and driving erratically, and concerns for public safety prompted officers to stop the chase.

Officers in a police helicopter kept eyes on the fleeing SUV, tracking it until the driver ditched it in an apartment complex on 45th Street and Logan Avenue shortly before 1:30 a.m.

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, center, speaks at a news conference Monday after a police officer was shot. The suspect was arrested after a nine-hour standoff.

(Adriana Heldiz / San Diego Union-Tribune)

The suspect took off running. Police in the helicopter directed officers on the ground toward the fleeing man.

As the suspect ran, he fired at the officers behind him, police spokesman Lt. Adam Sharki said. Police did not return fire.

The rookie officer was struck multiple times as he came around an apartment building, police said.

A police officer who is also trained as a physician assistant helped the injured officer, Nisleit said.

“He was able to do a quick assessment — and I [would] trust this person with my own life,” the chief said

Rather than wait for an ambulance, police drove the wounded officer to a trauma hospital.

“I really believe the officers just did an incredible job under extreme stress,” Nisleit said. “You have to remember they don’t know where the suspect went. This is someone who just fired at them, and yet they’re doing rescues and they’re doing medical aid.”

“This is a young man who tried to recover someone’s stolen car, and someone tried to kill him,” Nisleit said of the officer.

The officer was struck at least once on his arm, and another round hit his bulletproof vest, said Officer Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Assn.

Police were able to pinpoint the suspect’s location because an officer in a police helicopter saw the suspect go into the vacant townhouse.

The suspect barricaded himself in an empty townhouse on 44th Street, prompting a nine-hour SWAT standoff.

(Luke Johson / For the San Diego Union-Tribune)

SWAT officers and police negotiators surrounded the two-story townhouse on south 44rd Street near Newton Avenue. Officers brought specialized equipment to the scene, including tactical vehicles and weapons.

Homes near the standoff were evacuated while other nearby residents were asked to shelter in place. Police shut down a stretch of Logan Avenue and nearby streets for several hours.

“The concern is this guy is dangerous,” Sharki said during the standoff. “We believe him to be armed — clearly he was when he shot the officer. We are giving him every opportunity to surrender peacefully.”

They tried to make contact with the man using bullhorns and cellphones. At one point, they fired a tear gas canister into the building. Nisleit said a robot allowed officers to peer into the home and see the suspect was unresponsive. Shebloski said the man appeared to be in “medical distress,” possibly overdosing on an opioid.

A team entered the home, took the man into custody and gave him naloxone.

After the man receives medical treatment, he is expected to be booked into jail.