An auto-theft suspect was recovering in a hospital Tuesday from gunshot wounds she suffered when members of a multi-agency investigative team opened fire on her as she allegedly pointed a replica pistol at them on a Talmadge-area street.
The events that led to the shooting began at about 8:45 p.m. Monday, when personnel with the county Regional Auto Theft Task Force came across a stolen 1998 Ford Econoline in the 4600 block of Collwood Boulevard, according to the San Diego Police Department.
“When task force members approached the van, they realized that someone was inside the vehicle. … (They) identified themselves as police and asked the woman to exit the vehicle,” SDPD Lt. Jud Campbell said. “They were using red and blue lights on their vehicles and wearing tactical vests identifying their agencies.”
When the 32-year-old suspect got out of the vehicle, she allegedly pulled what appeared to be a handgun and raised it toward the personnel. Two of them, a Chula Vista police officer and a sergeant with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, responded by shooting her, Campbell said.
Paramedics took the woman to a hospital, where she was admitted for treatment of at least two gunshot wounds. The suspect, whose name has been withheld, was listed in critical but stable condition.
“She is expected to survive her injuries,” the lieutenant said Tuesday.
The identities of the personnel who shot the suspect also were not immediately available. The officer has worked for the Chula Vista Police Department for about four years, and the sergeant has been employed by the sheriff’s department for roughly 14 years.
While documenting evidence at the scene of the shooting, detectives determined that the suspect had been wielding a replica firearm during the confrontation, Campbell said.
Updated at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 29, 2022
–City News Service