NewsLocal NewsSan Diego News

Actions

SDPD bodycam video shows moments before officers fatally shot armed suspect in City Heights

city heights officer involved shooting
Posted at 4:54 PM, Nov 21, 2023
and last updated 2023-11-21 19:54:40-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Department released body camera video of a deadly confrontation in the City Heights neighborhood involving a suspect investigators say was armed with a gun.

The incident happened on Nov. 13 in the 4000 block of Wightman Street. Officers say they first received a 911 call of an armed man shooting a female victim on Polk Avenue.

Around 11:30 p.m., officers located the suspect on Wightman St. after he injured the woman and left the Polk Ave. scene.

SDPD says the incident may have started as a domestic call, but they're still investigating what led to the shooting exactly.

The suspect was identified as 22-year-old Imanol Aparicio, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office in a press release sent Tuesday.

Bodycam footage, which was posted on SDPD's YouTube page, shows officers attempting to talk to Aparicio, who started running and appeared to have a gun. (WARNING: This video contains graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing.)

Read more: UPDATE: Suspect police shot in City Heights pronounced dead at hospital

In the video, he refused to comply with officers after multiple warnings.

"I'm going to shoot you" officers yelled. Moments later, shots were fired.

The sheriff's department said "the suspect's behavior prompted officers to discharge their duty weapons."

Then officers are heard asking Aparicio to put the gun down in the video.

"While on the ground, the suspect continued to ignore the officer's commands," the release says. "He continued to move around and produced a firearm."

Aparicio was shot more than once and stopped moving, officials said. He was confirmed dead at the hospital hours later.

The release says he was in possession of a loaded handgun that was unregistered.

No officers were injured in this incident, which remains under the sheriff's department's investigation.

The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Sgt. Matthew Ruggiero, Officer Jeremy Avalos, and Officer Jonah Tafoya, who all report from the Mid-City Division of SDPD.

Anyone with information about this officer-involved shooting can call the homicide unit at (858) 285-6330.