Harbor police officer injured, three dead in shootings in Little Italy and downtown

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A Port of San Diego police officer was shot during a shootout in Little Italy with a person suspected in a fatal shooting that occurred downtown about an hour earlier.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said SDPD officers responded around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday to a reported shooting in the 1300 block of Union Street, in which a man and a woman were killed and a suspected gunman was on the loose.

According to SDPD Captain Manny Del Toro, the shooter was a man wearing a green shirt and blue jeans, and that description was sent to police across the city. Police assume the shooter knew the man and woman.

According to Wahl, Harbor Police officers assisting with the search spotted the suspected shooter in the Union Street shooting at Juniper Street and Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy about 45 minutes later.

Port Police officers encountered someone wearing tactical pants and boots who Del Toro said was “blatant and aggressive.” The man had knives and was armed with a firearm.

During a confrontation, gunfire broke out, with a Port Police officer shot in the hip and the suspect struck by gunfire from the officers. SDPD officials said three officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect and multiple shots were fired at the officers.

Del Toro says it is unclear at this time whether the suspect or the officers fired first.

The injured officer was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, and while Wahl said he believed the officer would be OK, their condition was not immediately known.

Wahl said during the press conference that the suspect was also taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

Around 11:40 a.m., SDPD officials told ABC 10News the suspect died at the hospital. They describe him as a man in his twenties.

‘This could have been a lot worse. I must commend the Port Police officers for their response and the way they approached the suspect. This is Little Italy; we have people walking in the streets, coffee shops…their The ability to run towards gunfire and courageously tackle this person, I think, has saved lives,” Wahl said.

A motive for the Union Street shooting is being investigated by SDPD homicide detectives. The victims of that shooting have not been identified.

According to the investigation, specific roads have been closed and police are asking the public to avoid the following areas for the next few hours:

• Kettner Boulevard between W. Ivy and Laurel streets
• Union Street, between W. Ash and W. A streets
• Intersection of Union and W. Ash streets