Officer Injured by Flying Screwdriver During Critical Mass Bike Ride

An SDPD officer was injured Friday night after a screwdriver was thrown at his head, authorities confirmed.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. in downtown San Diego near 6th Avenue and Market Street.

An unknown suspect threw a large, sharpened screwdriver at an officer who was exiting a police van, Lt. Paul Rorrison said. The officer sustained a large laceration to his ear and was transported to the hospital.

At the time of the injury, bicyclists from the monthly Critical Mass biking event were rolling through the area, police said.

Lt. Rorrison said a group of Critical Mass bicyclists were initially riding southbound on 4th Avenue when one rider kicked a parked vehicle on the road. A security guard saw the vandalism and chased the group down to 6th Avenue.

The group of riders got into a physical fight with the security guard and police responded to the scene.

As a responding officer arrived, he was hit in the head by screwdriver thrown by an unknown suspect.

Lt. Rorrison said the person who threw the screwdriver has not been identified or taken into custody. If arrested, that suspect could face felony assault chargers for injuring the officer.

The suspect who kicked the car was detained by police, Lt. Rorrison said.

According to Lt. Rorrison, police have amped up their presence at the monthly Critical Mass bike rides lately. He called this an "isolated incident."

As of Saturday morning, the injured officer had been treated and released from the hospital, authorities confirmed.

The security guard involved in the scuffle with the bicyclist spoke with NBC 7 on Saturday and said the bicyclist had allegedly kicked his car, which is why he chased him down.

The security guard -- who's a bouncer in downtown San Diego -- said the bicyclist had allegedly dented his fender and cracked a headlight on his car.

When he tried to place the bicyclist under citizen’s arrest, a fight ensued that included a group of cyclists allegedly throwing items such as jugs of water, a bike pump, a hammer and the screwdriver that hit the officer, the guard said.