5K Honors Slain SDPD Officer

Officer Christopher Wilson died after being wounded in a shootout in the Skyline in October 2010

The 26th Annual Light the Night Against Crime 5K took place in Balboa Park on Oct. 27. This year, the event was dedicated to slain SDPD Officer Chris Wilson, who died from wounds sustained in the line of duty during a shootout on October 27, 2010.

Saturday night's event – attended by nearly 3,000 people -- marked the two-year anniversary of the shootout that led to Officer Wilson’s death.

Wilson, a 17-year veteran of the force and father of two, died on Oct. 28, 2010, from wounds sustained in a shootout with a suspect holed up inside an apartment in the Skyline area.

He was fatally wounded while providing backup to other officers who were conducting a compliance check on an apartment. A fugitive shot Wilson while hiding behind a bedroom door inside the Skyline apartment.

Saturday night’s 5K event featured all kinds of activities and was a way for local law enforcement to connect with the community and honor Officer Wilson’s legacy as a well-respected officer who worked in Southeast San Diego.

Local police officer recruit Krista Vories is set to graduate from Palomar College Police Academy this December and told NBC 7 she would be thinking of Wilson as she ran the 5K in Balboa Park.

“It means a lot to me, just [to] keep him in our memories,” said Vories.

Though the annual Light the Night Against Crime event is typically dedicated to an unsolved murder, event organizers decided to pay tribute Wilson instead this time – especially since the date coincided with the anniversary of his death.

The race also honored wounded San Diego Sheriff’s Department deputies Detective Ali Perez and Sgt. Craig Johnson, who were seriously injured in a shootout in Lakeside on Sept. 25 and are still recovering.
 

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