Police identify man shot while lunging with knife at Escondido officers

Escondido police have identified a man who was shot by officers Wednesday after lunging with a knife at cars in traffic and then at officers called to the disturbance at the intersection of South Centre City Parkway and 13th Street.

Juan Ramos, 54, was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido and is expected to survive his wounds, said Lt. Chris Tivanian in a news release. No details on his injuries or condition were released.

Police were called about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday to reports of a man with a knife walking north in the southbound traffic lanes of South Centre City Parkway near Felicita Avenue, Tivanian said. He was approaching drivers, creating a traffic hazard and a safety concern.

Two uniformed officers and a plainclothes detective located the man and ordered him to drop the knife, Tivanian said.

“The man ignored the officers’ commands and ran toward the detective with the knife in his hand, prompting all three to discharge their service weapons, striking the man,” he said. “The man fell to the ground, immediately got back up and ran toward the uniformed officers with the knife in his hand.”

The officers shot again, striking the man and causing him to fall again. He continued to hold the knife and “made comments indicating he wanted the officers to shoot him,” Tivanian said.

Additional officers arrived and fired less lethal sponge rounds at the man, he said. They then were able to approach the man, remove the knife from his hand, and render first aid until paramedics arrived.

“The two officers who fired their weapons have been employed by the Escondido Police Department forapproximately eight months and 17 years,” Tivian said. “The detective has been employed by the Escondido PoliceDepartment for approximately three years. The uniformed officers were equipped with body-worn cameras,which were activated during this incident.”

San Diego police homicide detectives were called to investigate the shooting as required by a countywide memorandum of understanding. When complete, the investigation will be reviewed by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability, Tivian said.

Escondido police will conduct an administrative investigation of their officers’ discharge of firearms, he said, and the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the investigation.