SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Following the release of footage from a body camera worn by a San Diego Police Department officer involved in Thursday’s La Presa officer-involved shooting, ABC 10News sat down with former SDPD SWAT commander and lethal force instructor Ray Shay.
“You'll so often see everyone tends to put their guns out. There's other officers that are just standing by and directing and coordinating, which is very good and tactically strong,” Shay said.
Shay watched the footage released by the Department to offer his insight into the tactics used by officers.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego Police Department received a call regarding a stolen vehicle near Euclid Avenue and Imperial Avenue around 12:40 p.m.
When an officer spotted the vehicle on Imperial Avenue and attempted to pull the driver over, the driver failed to stop, and a pursuit ensued, authorities said.
The suspect then crashed into a light pole near Jamacha Road and Gillespie Drive before exiting the vehicle.
“He's very clear; he uses no profanity. He makes the direction very, very clear because this is a possible armed encounter because it appears there's a handgun to the ground to the right of him,” Shay said.
“So, the person is doing two things he's not supposed to be doing. One, they told him repeatedly to get down on the ground. He's not, and there's an apparent gun to the right of him, closer to his car.”
San Diego Police said in the video that there was an object to the right of the suspect that appeared to be a firearm.
According to police, the suspect failed to obey the officers’ commands and moved toward the item, which is on the right-hand side of the suspect in the video. Prior to this, an officer is heard telling the suspect not to reach for “the weapon” in the video.
An officer fired his weapon and shot the suspect.
Police told ABC 10News that after officers administered emergency aid, the suspect was taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, which is standard protocol.
“I 100% understand why he fired because you're talking a distance. It appears to be about 30 feet away, it appears to be a revolver, it appears to be on the ground,” Shay said. “An officer feared for his life, and as a police officer placed in that situation, I would feel the same thing.”
ABC 10News asked Shay about the object that appeared to be a firearm in the video.
“Well, I see that, and I see that's a toy gun,” Shay said. “And unless you get really close to it, you can't see that it's a toy gun, because most people when they see the flash of the revolver, the reflection, the color of it, they think that guy has a gun.”
Some of the things we still don't know, such as who the man involved was and what led up to this situation.
ABC 10News asked the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office if investigators were able to determine if the object was a firearm.
The Sheriff’s Office told us, “Per a Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit is conducting the SDPD officer-involved shooting investigation. The motivation and circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. Detectives continue to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No other information, besides what was shared in our news release, is available at this time.”
Different organizations have weighed in on the shootin,g including the San Diego Police Officers Association and the City’s Commission on Police Practices.
The Police Officers Association credits Chief Scott Wahl and the Department for releasing the body camera footage a few hours after the shooting occurred, which is a rare move.
Its statement reads in part, “This decision determines a commitment to transparency, while respecting the integrity of ongoing the investigative process, and it allows the public to view firsthand the event as they occurred.”
The Commission issued the following statement earlier on Friday: “The Commission on Police Practices is aware of yesterday’s officer‑involved shooting involving San Diego Police Department officers in the La Presa area. Although this incident occurred outside the City of San Diego’s jurisdiction, SDPD officers were involved, and under the regional protocol, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will lead the investigation. While the Commission does not yet have independent investigative authority, we do have the responsibility to track critical incidents involving SDPD and to review the completed investigation once it is provided to us. We will be monitoring this case to ensure the investigative process proceeds with transparency, accuracy, and adherence to established procedures. Information is still developing, and we will not speculate on the circumstances. Our focus remains on oversight, accountability, and keeping the community informed as verified information becomes available. Please follow us on social media (SanDiegoCPP) to stay up to date on Commission business."
ABC 10News asked the Commission about its views on the timing of releasing the body camera footage.
The Chair of the CPP, Ada Rodriguez, told us "Because this is an active investigation, the Commission is not commenting on the specifics of the incident or the timing of the video release. In general, the Commission supports timely transparency, and we appreciate when information is shared with the public in a way that helps build trust. We hope that consistent practices around the release of critical incident information continue across all cases, but ultimately the timing of any release is the Department’s operational decision. Our role is to track critical incidents involving SDPD and to review the completed investigation once it is provided to us. At this stage, information is still developing, and we are focused on monitoring the case and ensuring that the investigative process proceeds with accuracy, transparency, and adherence to established procedures."
ABC 10News asked Shay if he had ever seen body camera footage be released so quickly.
“No, and I've never even seen a homicide lieutenant give a comment about a shooting that fast,” Shay said. “So, in my background or history, that's the absolute fastest I've ever seen it put out. So, it was impressive, and I think transparency is an important part of law enforcement."
