SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s police chief flew in from Louisville, Kentucky to provide an update on his officer shot in the line of duty.
Chief David Nisleit confirmed the officer who was shot was released from the hospital and is recovering at home with his family.
And the chief had sharp words for the gunman still on the loose.
“To the suspect, I know you know who you are. You need to surrender. We are not going stop searching for you until we take you into custody,” Nisleit said on Friday.
Nisleit did not identify the officer but says he had just got off training and had been out on patrol for only 6 or 7 months
The shooting happened Thursday in the 5200 block of Wightman Street in Chollas Creek. Police say the officer was conducting a traffic stop for a stolen truck when the driver got out of the truck and ran toward an apartment complex.
The officer chased the suspect, and that’s when the chief says the suspect fired multiple times at the officer, hitting the officer in the arm.
The chief says the entire force is using all hands on deck to find the suspect. He is described as a Hispanic man in his 30s wearing a grey top and dark bottoms.
Police did have one person in custody at one point who matched the shooter’s description, but later said that was not their suspect.
And they are still searching for the gunman.
“We just had Officer Hernandez shot in December. Now, we have this officer who’s been shot now in June. We’ve had four other incidents where officers are being fired upon in the last 10 months,” says Nisleit. “These officers are out there providing protection and making our communities safe and this is the response and it’s got to stop. I’m fed up with it to be honest. I’m fed up with the lawlessness.”
Police are asking the public for help to identify the suspect.
They say someone knows who this suspect is and they are offering $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.