A suspect who authorities say shot and wounded a female San Diego police officer was shot and killed by police after a freeway chase ended in a shootout Sunday morning.
Police said the five-year veteran was shot in the upper torso and was in stable condition at a local hospital. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman described the officer as being in "good spirits." The officer's name was not released because some members of her family had not been told of her condition.
"Whenever we hear something like this, all of us take a deep breath and hope," Zimmerman told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "It's very concerning for all of us, but we got great news."
The drama began at around 7:30 a.m. local time when officers tried to pull over a Jeep traveling at around 90 miles per hour on Interstate 805. The driver sped off, later bailing out of the Jeep and running away when officers approached him on foot.
During a foot pursuit, police said the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot at them, striking the officer. At least two officers returned fire, killing the suspect. San Diego Police Capt. Mike Hastings said that at least one officer was wearing a body camera, but it was not clear whether it was turned on or if it recorded the shooting.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that police were investigating whether the suspect, whose name has not been released, was connected to a series of six shootings that had been reported around the city since January. The most recent shooting targeted the San Diego Gas & Electric building on May 10. It was the second time the building had been fired upon. No one had been hurt in those shootings, but on four occasions, people were inside the targeted buildings.
Hastings said the license plate of the Jeep driven by the suspect may match that of a vehicle seen near the scene of some of the shootings.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
