A man shot by San Diego police after allegedly setting an apartment on fire in Cortez Hill on Tuesday afternoon died at a hospital hours later, police said.
A 911 caller had reported around 1 p.m. that the suspect, in a rental unit at a residential complex at Cedar Street and Sixth Avenue, was making threats, Officer John Buttle said.
When police arrived, the man reportedly barricaded himself inside an apartment, initiating an hourlong standoff. He also reportedly threw household items out a window, damaging parked police vehicles, and started a fire inside the residence. The entire apartment complex was temporarily evacuated.
After the police shooting, a person could be seen being moved on a stretcher as emergency personnel administered CPR.
The man’s mother was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation under the terms of a 2022 countywide agreement on officer- or deputy-involved shootings.
City News Service contributed to this report. This story was updated pm 6/24/2026 at 8:42 a.m.
