Officer Found Justified in Shooting Suspect Armed With 2 Guns

The San Diego County district attorney’s office has ruled that the San Diego police shooting of a 22-year-old man was justified because the man was getting ready to fire a semiautomatic pistol.

Sean Sylvester White, carrying both the pistol and a sawed-off shotgun, was injured in the September shooting and charged with assault with a firearm on a peace officer. His Superior Court trial is set for Feb. 25.

The district attorney’s office said White is known to be a member of the West Coast Crips gang and was on parole for kidnaping after being released in April from state prison.

The district attorney’s office gave this account of the shooting:

Police Officer William Alan Albrektsen spotted White at 2:13 a.m. Sept. 5 and began following him in his patrol car. White, with an object under his arm, quickened his pace. Albrektsen thought the man had a gun, got out of the car and ordered White to stop. White then ran into an apartment building and began pounding on a door to get inside. Albrektsen followed and told him to put his hands up and drop what he had under his arm.

Albrektsen said he warned White several times before he saw White “either pull out his shirt or push up his jacket.” Albrektsen said White grabbed a gun out of his waistband and, when “he started bringing it towards me . . . that’s when I fired.”

The district attorney’s office ruled that Albrektsen was justified in using force to protect himself.