San Diego

Two men believed to be burglars were shot by police Wednesday in Southeast San Diego, police reported.

Jerome Peterson, 25, and Rodney Jones, 26, were shot by Officers Sylvester Wade and Jeff Durbin as they fled their car, which had crashed into a building in an alley in the 1000 block of South 43rd Street about 1:30 a.m. The car was later found to be stolen.

Police were chasing the auto because it had reportedly been used by burglars in a nearby home break-in, police said.

After the crash, Peterson, Jones and the third passenger, 25-year-old Edric Jordan, who was not injured, jumped from the car and tried to flee. One of them pointed a gun at Wade, prompting the officers to fire. Both Peterson and Jones suffered leg wounds, according to police spokesman Bill Robinson, who didn’t know who pointed the gun at police.

Jones and Peterson were taken into custody and transported to a hospital, Robinson said. He declined to identify the hospital, saying that Peterson and Jones are suspected of being gang members and police fear that members of the gang may try to free them.

Several guns were found in the stolen vehicle including an Uzi and a Cobray M-11, both assault weapons, Robinson said.

Jordan was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, stealing a vehicle and illegal possession of a gun, police officials said. He is being held in the San Diego County Jail, and bail has been set at $17,000. Robinson said Peterson and Jones are also being kept in custody, but Robison did not specify on what charges.

Two men in another car were also believed to be involved in the break-in, but they have not been found, Robinson said.