Two motorcycle officers shot and killed an armed man who police say pulled a gun on them in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter Tuesday.
Just after 2 p.m., the officers discovered a 39-year-old African American man interfering with traffic and causing a disturbance in the area of 6th Avenue and F Street, according to SDPD Capt. David Nisleit.
As officers approached him, the suspect started running from them into the middle of the street. Nisleit said the man then turned, pulled a large caliber handgun from his backpack and pointed it at the officers.
The police, feeling threatened, opened fire on the man. According to officials, the officers had ordered the man to drop the weapon.
Falling to the ground, the man did not release his grip on his gun. Again, he did not follow officers' orders to let go of it, and when he started to sit up with weapon in hand, they shot him again, Nisleit said.
The man was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he died.
His identity is being withheld until his family is notified, but investigators say the suspect was wanted on an armed robbery warrant out of Virginia. He was considered armed and dangerous there.
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The two officers involved have been with the SDPD for 30 and 25 years, respectively.
"We do know that the officers were equipped with body worn cameras. At this time in the investigation, it appears that the cameras were not on," said Nisleit.
When investigators interview the officers Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, they will determine why the cameras were not on.
However, cellphone footage from witnesses and security camera video from nearby buildings did capture the incident, so those videos will be handed over to the District Attorney's office when they start their investigation, as is protocol with fatal police shootings.
The officers were in the area to do traffic enforcement.
Nisleit said at this point in the investigation, he cannot determine if the suspect's weapon was fired.
"I have taken a close look at this weapon, and from my opinion, it looks real; it looks like a very large semi automatic pistol, but that will be determined as part of the investigation," said Nisleit. "The crime lab will test if it's real and if it can be fired."
The SDPD is blocking off F Street from 6th to 7th Avenue; the investigation is expected to continue late into the night. Soon after the shooting, more than 20 patrol cars were at the scene.
Crime scene tape blocked off the intersection by the Andaz Hotel.
Ramona Bommer, who works in a building by the incident, described what she heard and saw.
"I was in the building and I heard this 'pop pop pop' and I thought, what on earth is going on? Looked out the window and there was a motorcycle cop and there was a body in the street," she said.
Officers were checking the IDs of anyone leaving the scene.
