SAN DIEGO, CA — A man fatally shot himself while being detained by police in San Diego, authorities said.
Officers contacted the man around 3 a.m. Monday in a vehicle in the 5000 block of Newport Avenue in the Ocean Beach neighborhood, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which investigates in-custody deaths involving the San Diego Police Department under terms of a regional agreement designed to prevent conflicts of interest.
“During the detention, the male became combative,” sheriff’s Lt. Juan Marquez said. “As officers attempted to handcuff him, he produced a handgun and shot himself one time.”
Officers rendered aid and called paramedics, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, Marquez said. His name was withheld pending family notification.
The officers, who did not fire their guns during the encounter, sustained minor injuries while trying to detain the man, Marquez said. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
Detectives were investigating the incident and interviewing witnesses.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or after hours at 858-868-3200. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.