Yesterday's Car Chase & Shooting in Spring Valley Just 1.8 Miles From Bonita Boundary

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28 minutes ago
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Aerial view of police activity yesterday in Spring Valley | Photo by NBC 7 San Diego News | Click on image to enlarge

A heavy police presence surrounds Spring Valley's La Presa after an officer-involved shooting with San Diego Police.

There was a heavy police presence in Spring Valley's La Presa neighborhood due to an officer-involved shooting with the San Diego Police on Thursday afternoon.

A car was stolen around 12:40 p.m. Thursday in front of the YMCA on Euclid and Imperial Avenues. Roughly an hour later, San Diego Police spotted the stolen car and started to pursue the suspect.

The driver of the stolen car crashed into a light pole near the intersection of Jamacha Road and Gillespie Drive after they drove over spike strips deployed by San Diego Police in an attempt to stop them. The light pole fell on top of a San Diego Police cruiser that had an officer inside.

The officer has injuries said to be minor.

The driver got out of the car after the crash, a press release from the San Diego Sheriff's Office said that SDPD officers saw an item that appeared to be a firearm near the driver. After failing to comply with officers' commands, the driver appeared to reach toward the item.

One officer then fired and shot the driver. officers administered emergency medical aid, and the driver was taken to a local hospital. Officials said that the driver is being treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

CBS8 Newscast

San Diego Police published body cam footage to the department's YouTube channel within hours of the incident. Footage is typically released within the following days or weeks of an incident.

The San Diego Sheriff's Homicide Unit was called to investigate the incident, per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding. According to the agency, the motivation and circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation. Meanwhile, Detectives are continuing to gather evidence, interviewing witnesses and examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Officials are asking anyone with information about this incident to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330. People can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The red marker in the upper center of this map shows where the incident took place. You might recognize the surroundings in the bottom of the map. The shooting took place 1.8 miles away, a 3 minute drive from Bonita. | Photo by Google Maps | Click on image to enlarge

Which agency is investigating?

Every local law enforcement agency in 2022 signed a Memorandum of Understanding that prevents agencies from investigating their own shooting incidents. Per the MOU, the Sheriff’s Office will investigate San Diego Police’s officer-involved shootings.

Respectively, SDPD investigates the Sheriff’s deputy-involved shootings as well as every other police department across the county such as Oceanside or Chula Vista Police Departments.

If a shooting involves both San Diego Sheriff’s and San Diego Police, then Chula Vista’s officers will investigate.

This MOU was signed in an effort to promote transparency and maintain independence in shooting investigations.

After law enforcement investigates the shooting, the findings are passed to the District Attorney’s Office of Special Operations Division, made up of prosecutors and investigators, to see if there are any violations of state law, including murder and manslaughter.

It can take several months for both the law enforcement agency and the District Attorney’s Office to complete the review.

If the DA’s office determines no criminal acts have been committed by the officer or deputy, they will post a letter with a case summary and evidence to the DA website.

To report details of a shooting you may have witnessed, you can call Crime Stoppers at: (888) 580-8477.