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San Diego police officer killed in gun battle during traffic stop San Diego police officer killed in gun battle during traffic stop
(about 2 hours later)
A traffic stop led to a gun battle that killed an anti-gang police officer and seriously wounded another, authorities said on Friday. A suspect was shot and taken into custody while authorities searched for others who may have been involved. A police officer was shot and killed and another hospitalized in San Diego on Friday after a traffic stop led to a gun battle that also left the suspect hospitalized.
The slain officer, a husband and father of two children, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died early Friday, police chief Shelley Zimmerman said. The other officer underwent surgery and was expected to survive. His wife is at the hospital. The altercation took place in a south-west suburb of San Diego late on Thursday night. Details remain sparse but the San Diego police chief, Shelley Zimmerman, told reporters that the two officers had called for emergency backup soon after they made the initial stop. Their names have not been released.
Related: Suspect arrested over San Diego killing spree after two new attacks on homeless When backup arrived, they found the two officers with gunshot wounds to the torso. Both were rushed to separate hospitals where one died. The other is expected to survive after undergoing surgery.
The officers, both part of the department’s gang suppression unit, made the traffic stop around 11pm Thursday in San Diego’s modest Southcrest area and were shot in the upper torso. They quickly called for emergency cover, and the critically injured officer was rushed to the hospital in a police vehicle. A suspect in the shooting was found in a ravine after police officers reportedly followed a trail of blood to where he was hiding.
The male suspect, who was captured in a ravine, was being treated on Friday at a hospital. His condition was unknown. It is with a very sad heart that we announce the death of one of our Officers tonight. Pray for his family pic.twitter.com/3l9PXa1vuW
Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and other law enforcement agencies scoured ravines, yards, streets and alleys for other possible suspects. A helicopter hovered above. Swat teams, helicopters and police cars mobilized as the hunt began for a potential second suspect. Residents were temporarily asked to remain in their homes.
Zimmerman was emotional after visiting the home of the slain officer to notify the family. Swat teams are currently engaged in a standoff at a residence in San Diego but would not confirm if it was related to the police shooting.
“It is extremely difficult, but something you have to do,” she told reporters outside Scripps Mercy hospital. “There’s nothing that prepares you to do that.” Zimmerman later said the investigation into the possible second suspect was still ongoing and the “scene is still active”.
The shooting comes with law officers around the country on alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. Standoff continues near 41st/Epsilon. Police on bullhorn non-stop asking man they call 'Marcos,' to come out pic.twitter.com/mGsKxaW2Fd
“Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all,” San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer said on Friday. “I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us.” The shootings come at a time when the country’s 12,000 police departments are on high alert following the targeted attacks against officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas earlier this month. Tensions have persisted across the country as recordings of police shooting unarmed victims have sparked nationwide protests.
Statistics released form the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that from January to July of this year, 33 officers have been killed in gun-related incidents. This marks a 73% increase from the same period in 2015. However, police fatalities have been steadily declining for decades. Last year’s number of gun-related police deaths marks a 30% decrease from 2014.
It’s unclear what sparked the gunfire in San Diego, however, the two officers were part of an anti-gang unit.
Their names were not released but police chief Zimmerman said the officer who died is survived by a wife and two children. She informed the family of his death shortly before speaking with reporters.
“There’s nothing that prepares you to do that, it’s extremely difficult you can imagine early in the morning when a chief knocks on the door of a family member,” an emotional Zimmerman said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seized on the opportunity to reaffirm his campaign position as the “law and order” candidate. “Two policemen just shot in San Diego, one dead. It is only getting worse. People want LAW AND ORDER!” he tweeted.
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer also offered his condolences to the police department.
“Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all,” he said in a statement. “We need them and they need us.”
Zimmerman is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11am PT (2pm ET) with more details.