Suspect Shot By San Diego Police Sought Knife To Kill Self: Cops

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego police shot and killed a break-in suspect in the Sunset Cliffs neighborhood, police said on Twitter. Officers responded to the scene just after 6 a.m. Sunday for reports that someone was trying to enter at least one home on the 1300 block of Trieste Drive, police said in a release.

A 911 caller said a man banged on their front door and demanded they give him a knife so he could kill himself.

Officers arrived and found the man in the front yard of a neighboring home, which was elevated above the street and the officers, police said. The suspect then threw bricks at the officers sitting in a parked car, police said.

The suspect then took off toward the home and officers heard the sound of glass shattering, leading them to believe he had broken into the home. When they followed him, they found glass door had been broken and the suspect was inside in the kitchen. Thinking the residents might be in danger, they went in to the home and saw the man put a knife to his throat, police said.

The officers ordered him to put down the blade, but instead he charged at them, police said. Fearing for their lives, one officer fired off several rounds shots from an AR-15 rifle and another fired a single shot from his bean-bag shotgun, police said.

The suspect was hit at least once by the rifle and collapsed. Police gave the suspect medical attention but he died at the scene, Zimmerman said.

Neither the officers nor the two residents at the home were hurt, police said. The residents had been asleep at the time of the shooting.

The officer who fired the rifle is a 15-year veteran of the force.

The 24-year-old suspect, who is white, has been identified by police. His name will not be released until his family can be notified.

Press release for officer involved shooting in Sunset Cliffs neighborhood pic.twitter.com/zxCCBcryan
— San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) December 10, 2017

Image via Shutterstock