San Diego Shooting Leaves One Cop Dead, Another Wounded
Police in San Diego say one officer has died and another is in surgery after a shooting late Thursday night.
Authorities say the two officers were shot in a San Diego neighborhood, and a suspect is reportedly in custody. One of the officers died after suffering several shots to the torso; the other was rushed to the hospital.
"We are hopeful that that officer will survive and make a full recovery," San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman told NBC.
The police department later tweeted that the wounded officer is expected to survive.
It's not known yet what led to the violence, which occured around 11 p.m. PDT in the southeastern part of town.
Police scoured the area for other possible suspects and told neighbors to stay indoors. They're are out in full force with multiple squad cars, emergency lights, a helicopter buzzing overhead, and officers on foot.
"They're out there every day like all of our officers trying to make sure that our great citizens are kept safe," Zimmerman said. "And that's what they were doing tonight."
The shooting comes as law enforcement officers around the country on alert following deadly attacks on police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month.
Miles McPherson, pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego, offered prayers for the families in addition to urging people to stand united against the violence.
"As the son of a police officer myself, I cannot describe the feeling I felt when I awoke to today's news. Our city's heart is broken," he said.
"The Bible tells us to 'mourn with those who mourn and to weep with those who weep.' We especially mourn with the wife and two children of our city's fallen police officer," he continued. "We pray for the recovery of his partner. We refuse to let hatred and violence divide our city. We stand together."
The Rock Church is also inviting the entire community to join them this weekend to pray for the city. The church's grief-support ministries is also available to anyone impacted by the tragedy.
