A blood drive was held Monday in honor of a San Diego detective seriously injured in the line of duty.
Ali Perez was hurt Sept. 25 during a shootout in Lakeside. Perez, who has had several surgeries over two weeks, was shot at least twice with a high-powered gun -- including once in the stomach. Officials also said he suffered severe damage to vital arteries in his arm, as well as some damage to his shoulder.
The special blood drive began at 10 a.m. in the Lowe's parking lot on Mission Gorge Road and ran until 3:30 p.m.
Those who wanted to donate blood in Perez’s name were asked to give the code "AP07" or "SHRF" at the blood drive.
Both law enforcement officials and community members turned out to the event. At one point there was a two-hour wait to donate blood but people still stuck around, according to Perez’s brother-in-law Moses Moreno.
"I think half the people sitting here never met him, but they’re here and they're willing to sit around for two hours. They just heard right now that it's a two hour wait and they don't care. This is a good cause and we're going to do this. It's very heart warming," Moreno told NBC 7.
On Wednesday, the San Diego Blood Bank announced it has received more than 500 pints of blood in the name of the sheriff’s deputies shot and wounded in Lakeside.
Detective Ali Perez and Sgt. Craig Johnson were shot and injured after confronting suspect Dan Wictzak, accused of possessing child porn, at his Lakeside apartment.
Johnson underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the arm and was released from the hospital three days after the shooting.
