A Carlsbad Police officer is recovering from a serious head injury after he was ambushed by a man with a skateboard Friday night.
The officer had pulled into a parking lot on Carlsbad Village Drive near the I-5 overpass after his cruiser was struck with a rock. As he surveyed the damage, a man came up behind him and whacked the officer on the head with a skateboard.
Bob Ball, who works in the strip mall where the incident happened, said he’s not surprised because a lot of crime happens there. He told NBC7 he was surprised by how violent the attack was.
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“I just hope to God that he’s OK,” Ball said, adding that any head injury is serious.
The suspect took off running as the officer fired three shots but missed. Other officers responding to the incident arrested 32-year-old Kyle McCord a few blocks away and took him into custody for the attempted murder of a police officer.
San Diego Police Homicide detectives are investigating the incident. It's standard protocol in San Diego County for investigators from a different police department to investigate any officer-involved shootings.
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San Diego Police Lt. Steve Shebloski told NBC7 that it's not yet known whether McCord threw the rock at the officer’s car or if it was someone else. The officer also told NBC 7 on Monday that investigators don't know why McCord allegedly launched what appeared to be an unprovoked attack on the officer, whether McCord was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if has some sort of mental illness.
McCord is being held without bail at the Vista Jail. His arraignment is set for April 4.
