A National City police officer opened fire on an unarmed driver Tuesday after the man failed to pull over for a vehicle violation, officials said.
The driver, identified only as a 20-year-old man, was struck in his left arm during a traffic stop on Gladiola Street south of E Division Street and east of Interstate 5.
However, the driver refused to stop when a National City Police officer tried to pull his car over at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The officer said he wanted to speak with the driver about not having a front license plate.
Man shot by officer in National City. Here's what the scene looks like right now. @nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/kJMQLLQzWa
— Candice Nguyen (@CandiceNBCSD) March 11, 2015
When the car finally stopped in an alley off Division Street, three officers approached the driver for a "high risk vehicle stop," according to Lt. Robert Rounds.
The driver got out of his car, and a 15-year veteran NCPD officer shot him once in the left arm, police said. The man was taken to UCSD Medical Center for injuries that are not life threatening.
When asked if the suspect had a weapon, Rounds said, "I don't have the information on that because we're still in the process of talking to the officer, so I don't know what his mindset was at the time or what happened."
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Investigators discovered the vehicle involved was not stolen, but the suspect did have a criminal record.
The NCPD posted on Twitter that traffic was being diverted around the 400 block of Division Street. They asked drivers to avoid the area.
When the suspect's mother and brother came to the scene, neighbors say they were extremely distraught. The frantic brother was detained by police because he tried to get in the scene, Rounds said. He has since been released.
