A 33-year-old man was shot to death after allegedly raising a firearm at San Diego County deputies and a police officer while in the passenger side of a vehicle during a traffic stop in San Marcos.
The fatal shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, when a deputy from the San Marcos substation conducted a traffic stop on a red Hyundai Sonata for a vehicle code violation, according to a report from the San Diego Police Department.
Police said the vehicle was occupied by a 21-year-old woman in the driver’s seat, and in the front seat, a male passenger whose age was not released.
The deputy learned after a record check that the vehicle’s license plate and VIN were “inconsistent” with what DMV had on file. The steering column of the vehicle also appeared damaged, which suggested the vehicle may have been stolen, the department reported.
“As multiple deputies and a Palomar College police officer arrived to assist, the front passenger abruptly rolled up his window and ignored commands to keep it down. The passenger then reached toward the floorboard and armed himself with a semiautomatic handgun,” the SDPD said in a statement.
Deputies removed the driver from the vehicle after repeated commands to the passenger to drop the weapon, officials said. He continued to ignore commands and began to raise the firearm as deputies positioned themselves around the car.
Five deputies and one Palomar College police officer discharged their weapons, striking the passenger, according to the department.
Deputies removed the passenger from the vehicle and attempted lifesaving measures to no avail.
The victim, deputies, officer and driver have not yet been identified, and the SDPD was investigating.
Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the SDPD’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580- 8477.
