San Ysidro
Police shot and critically wounded a man early Friday, reportedly after he reached for a gun while being questioned by officers near a San Ysidro convenience store.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was in critical condition at UC San Diego Medical Center after four hours of surgery. He was shot three times in the left buttock by San Diego Police Officer Jamie Conti.
According to police, Conti, 29, and Officer Raymond Battrick, 27, were patrolling near San Ysidro Boulevard and Cottonwood Road at 3:38 a.m. when they parked near the convenience store. They approached two men in the parking lot whose car appeared to be disabled. One of the men appeared to be looking under the hood while the other sat in the front passenger seat.
Conti spoke to the man outside the car, while Battrick talked to the man inside, police said. Conti noticed the man in the car reaching for a gun and warned Battrick, police said.
“In essence, they told this man in both Spanish and English that they were police officers, but he failed to stop,” Lt. Gary Learn said.
Conti shot the man from the driver’s side of the car while Battrick struggled with him from the passenger’s side, police said.
Police said they recovered a 6-inch blue steel revolver from the car.
Learn said the man who was shot may be held for armed assault on a police officer.
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