SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A chaotic Tuesday unfolded across San Diego County as law enforcement agencies responded to three separate major incidents within hours of each other — a SWAT standoff in downtown San Diego, a shooting near a Lakeside high school, and an officer-involved shooting in Balboa Park.
Downtown SWAT Standoff Ends with Arrest, Injured Police Dog
At 9:00 a.m., San Diego police responded to the J Street Flats apartment building in downtown San Diego, searching for a man wanted for assault with a deadly weapon.
Police say the suspect beat a woman with a baseball bat last Friday, leaving her with visible bruises on her hip and hands. The victim, who spoke with ABC 10News, showed the injuries she sustained in the attack.
When officers arrived at the apartment building to arrest the suspect, he refused to come out of his unit. Believing the man might be armed, police called in the SWAT team, leading to an hours-long standoff that stretched into the afternoon.
Residents in nearby apartment units were evacuated from the building.
The situation eventually ended with the suspect in custody, but not without incident. During the confrontation, a police K-9 was injured and became unresponsive. The dog was immediately rushed for medical attention and is expected to recover.
"I feel safer. I feel safe. If he did that to the dog, imagine what he would've done to me," said Cecilia Portillo, the alleged assault victim, reacting to news of the arrest.
Shooting Near El Capitan High School Prompts Lockdown
Just as the downtown standoff was winding down, another incident erupted in Lakeside at 3:21 p.m. San Diego County Sheriff's deputies said a 22-year-old man was shot in the leg near El Capitan High School, on the corner of Ashwood Street. and Mapleview Street.
Although classes had already been dismissed for the day, the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure while deputies responded to the scene.
"It's scary. Pretty close to the school too, like, who knows," said Kiana Cueva, a freshman at El Capitan High School.
Witnesses reported seeing three people running from the scene after the shooting. Deputies are still searching for those suspects.
The victim was treated at a local hospital and released. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently under investigation.
El Capitan High School Principal Carrie Gaeir released this statement as it played out:
"Vaquero families:
At the request of law enforcement, El Capitan High School has initiated lockdown procedures due to police activity in the surrounding area related to an off-campus incident. All students and staff are safe. Because school had already been dismissed for the day when the lockdown was initiated, staff are gathering students who were on or near campus into secure indoor locations on campus while law enforcement works to resolve the situation. We understand that situations like this can be concerning, and we want to reassure you that students are being closely supervised and cared for by staff during this time. At this moment, it is unclear when the lockdown will be lifted, and we appreciate your patience as we continue to work closely with law enforcement. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding and support."
Officer-Involved Shooting in Balboa Park
The third major incident occurred at 4:21 p.m. in Balboa Park. Investigators said it started with a routine bicycle traffic stop in the 2900 block of Balboa Drive.
According to investigators, two San Diego police officers stopped a middle-aged man on a bicycle. The man immediately rode away, prompting the officers to follow in their patrol car. The pursuit continued as they chased him through the park on foot.
During the chase, the suspect fired his gun at the officers. One officer returned fire, hitting the man in the back of the leg.
"I have no idea how many people were in the park. What we do know is that there's no injuries to the officer and no injuries to anybody else but the suspect," said Lt. Juan Marquez of the San Diego Sheriff's Homicide Unit.
The suspect was transported to a hospital for treatment and subsequently arrested. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, which is standard protocol for such incidents.
Lt. Marquez said the suspect could face charges that range from assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, all the way up to attempted murder, but that will be determined through the investigation.
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