San Diego
The fatal shooting April 8 of a suspected thief by a San Diego police officer has been ruled justifiable by Dist. Atty. Edwin L. Miller.
Officer Derek Diaz shot auto-theft suspect Gregory J. Markley through the chest during an arrest after Markley ignored Diaz’s commands to stop reaching toward his belt, according to Miller’s report dated June 5 and released Monday.
The Diaz had a 6-inch knife and a set of bolt cutters at the time of the arrest, San Diego Police Department spokesman David Cohen said.
“It was reasonable for officer Diaz to believe the rubber handles of the bolt cutters were pistol grips and to react defensively when Markley reached for them,” Miller’s report stated.
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