Authorities Monday publicly identified an auto theft and domestic violence suspect who died last week in a shootout that seriously wounded a police officer at a 4S Ranch-area shopping center.
Curtis Harris, 46, allegedly opened fire on San Diego Police Department personnel late Thursday night in a parking lot at a strip mall west of Interstate 15 and just north of Camino Del Norte, according to the county Sheriff’s Department, which investigates uses of lethal force on the part of SDPD personnel.
Harris’ gunfire wounded a police sergeant in the head and prompted three officers to return fire.
The sergeant was hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Paramedics took Harris to a trauma center, where he was pronounced dead about 1 a.m. Friday, sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Jarjura said.
The events that led to the deadly exchange of gunfire began about 10 p.m. Thursday, when police got a report that Harris, a San Diego resident, was the subject of an unserved restraining order, as well as a suspect in a vehicle theft and a domestic-abuse case, the lieutenant said.
Roughly 90 minutes later, officers found the allegedly stolen vehicle parked at 4S Commons Town Center.
“Officers developed a plan to serve the suspect with the (court order),” Jarjura said. “The suspect was inside (a) Ralphs store. Some officers attempted to contact him, but he ran out of the store. Other officers were outside of the store and in the parking lot.”
Upon exiting the supermarket, the suspect started shooting, drawing the fusillade of return fire that killed him, according to police.
The names of the involved officers have not been released.
City News Service contributed to this article.
