A possibly suicidal man who allegedly charged police outside an Escondido halfway house was in critical condition Tuesday after being wounded by an officer, authorities said.
The events that led to the gunfire began shortly before 2:30 a.m. when Escondido police officers responded to reports that a man had intentionally cut himself with a knife at the sober-living and community re-entry facility in the 100 block of South Elm Street, according to the San Diego Police Department.
“Officers arrived on scene and evacuated the facility,” SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said. “They contacted the (man) and saw that he still possessed the knife.”
Police tried for about an hour to persuade the man to disarm himself and surrender, but he refused and eventually stopped communicating with them. He then locked himself in a restroom.
“Because the negotiations were not successful and the man had not threatened harm to anyone other than himself, officers made the decision to de-escalate the situation by leaving the otherwise vacant facility,” Maggi said.
At about 4:20 a.m., police got word that the man had exited the restroom and was walking around the property while carrying a roughly 24-inch-long stick, along as well as the knife.
One of the officers who had responded to the initial call armed himself with a gun that fires a “less lethal” 40mm rubber projectile. He positioned himself in an alley next to the facility while waiting for backup.
Before more officers arrived, however, the suspect appeared in the alley, according to police.
“The officer gave commands for the man to drop the stick,” Maggi said. “The man refused … and charged at the officer. The officer transitioned to his handgun, yelled for the man to stop, and then fired several shots, striking him multiple times.”
Paramedics took the man to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon. His name was not immediately available.
The stick and a knife with a broken blade were located at the scene of the shooting, the lieutenant said.
The SDPD investigates shootings involving personnel with the Escondido Police Department under terms of a 2022 countywide agreement designed to prevent conflicts of interest.
Updated 4:10 p.m. Jan. 27, 2026
