By Karen Kucher
Source The San Diego Union-Tribune
A SWAT standoff was underway in the Mountain View neighborhood early Monday after a San Diego police officer was shot while chasing a suspect who had been driving a stolen vehicle, police said.
The injured officer was shot several times and rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was reported in stable condition, Police Chief David Nisleit told Fox 5 San Diego.
Hostage negotiators and police officers have surrounded an apartment on south 43rd Street near Newton Avenue where they believe the man has holed up. The hours-long standoff was still underway as of 8 a.m.
Police have shut down several streets in the area and evacuated nearby residents as they try to persuade the man to surrender, said police Lt. Adam Sharki.
"The concern is this guy is dangerous. We believe him to be armed — clearly he was when he shot the officer. We are giving him every opportunity to surrender peacefully," Sharki said.
The incident began shortly after 12:20 a.m. when police, aided by a helicopter, tried to pull over someone driving in a stolen Toyota. The suspect took off driving with patrol cars chasing him.
The suspect ditched the car at 45th Street and Logan Avenue and took off running with officers in pursuit. As he was running, he fired at officers chasing him, Sharki said.
Other officers immediately rendered first aid and drove the injured officer, in a police car, to a nearby hospital.
An officer in the police helicopter saw the suspect go into the apartment.
"We do know who he is," Nisleit told Fox 5 San Diego. "We have him identified. We are trying to make contact with him through bullhorns, through other devices, through family, but we are not going to identify him at this time."
Sharki said police have shut down Logan Avenue from 44th Street to 46th Street, as well as smaller streets in the area. Residents in the area have been asked to shelter in place.
Anyone needing to leave the area is asked to flag down a police officer or call the police non-emergency number — (619) 531-2000 — to get a police escort from the area, Sharki said.
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