Man attacks off-duty officer with knife and officer fatally shoots him, CA police say
An off-duty officer fatally shot a man who California police say stabbed him with a knife multiple times.
The officer, a 25-year veteran with the San Diego Community College District Police Department, arrived at Fiesta Island with his dogs the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 2, the San Diego Police Department said in a news release.
Shortly after parking his car, a man approached him on the sand, between the road and water, “for unknown reasons,” police said.
The man is then accused of “stabbing the off-duty officer with a knife” multiple times, and the officer shot the man “at least one time” using a personal firearm, police said.
Officers arrived on scene after getting a 911 call about a stabbing shortly after 10 a.m. and found the two injured men, as well as a knife in the sand, police said.
The off-duty officer was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, but “he is expected to survive,” police said.
The accused assailant was pronounced dead on scene, police said.
While the 41-year-old man has been identified, his identity will not be released until his family has been notified of his death, according to police.
Lt. Jud Campbell told KNSD off-duty officer shootings are “extremely rare” for the department.
Police said the shooting is “being investigated as an officer-involved shooting.”
“These investigations are extremely thorough, as is the review process,” police said.
After homicide detectives complete their investigation, the case will be reviewed by the county’s district attorney’s office to determine if any criminal charges should be filed against the off-duty officer, according to police.
The university’s police department will also conduct an “investigation into the officer’s discharge of his firearm,” police said.
“Our focus is on the condition of our officer who sustained serious injuries during an assault this morning at Fiesta Island while he was off duty. Our thoughts are with him and his family at this time,” a university spokesperson said in an emailed statement to McClatchy News, adding that the college is working with San Diego police during its investigation.
This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Man attacks off-duty officer with knife and officer fatally shoots him, CA police say."
