Spring Valley Man Killed in Exchange of Fire With Police

A 30-year-old Spring Valley man died Thursday morning, several hours after he was shot during an exchange of gunfire with the police officers who chased him by car from Southeast San Diego to Chula Vista, authorities said.

Mark Samuel Ohringer, 30, who fired several rounds from the window of his car at law enforcement officers during a chase which began in Lemon Grove and passed through San Diego and National City, was shot by police in Chula Vista as he left his car and again shot at police, authorities said.

Ohringer, who was shot in the head, chest and leg, was rushed by paramedics to UC San Diego Medical Center where he died at 1:33 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

The chase began shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday when Sheriff’s Deputy Van Joslyn, a 10-year veteran of the department who is assigned to the Lemon Grove substation, attempted to pull Ohringer over for a traffic violation at the intersection of Olive and Pacific avenues in Lemon Grove, said Pearl Janulewicz, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department. Joslyn had seen Ohringer cut off another vehicle and nearly cause an accident, she said.

Ohringer initially slowed his car as if to stop but then drove off, she said.

Driving west into San Diego, Ohringer pulled over at 69th Street and Imperial Avenue as if he were again going to stop, Janulewicz said. Instead, he put his car in reverse and rammed Joslyn’s patrol car.

San Diego police officers who saw the incident joined the chase which led them through Southeast San Diego, National City and finally to Chula Vista, police spokesman Dave Cohen said. While speeding through National City, Ohringer fired several shots from the window of his car at the pursuing officers, he said.

Finally, in the 3200 block of D Avenue in Chula Vista, Ohringer’s car jumped the curb and came to a stop, Janulewicz said.

Ohringer left his car and again fired at police officers who returned fire, fatally wounding the man, Cohen said.

Police spokesman Bill Robinson identified the four officers involved in the fatal shooting as Jerrilove Crockett, 35, a 6-year veteran of the force, Martin Guerra, 30, a 3-year veteran, Noel McElfresh, 36, a police officer for 2 1/2 years and Mark Willhelm, 25, a 2-year veteran of the force. All are assigned to the department’s Southeast Division.

Ohringer had a felony failure to appear warrant with a $500,000 bail and was believed to be armed and dangerous, Robinson said. In a plea bargain arrangement involving multiple charges related to methamphetamine labs and weapons charges, Ohringer had pleaded guilty March 12 to possession of drugs for sale, Robinson said. Court records show that he also pleaded guilty in March to an escape attempt and that he failed to show for sentencing April 12 on both charges.

It was not immediately known which officer shot Ohringer, police said. Deputy Joslyn did not fire at Ohringer, a sheriff’s department spokesman said.

Chula Vista and San Diego police are investigating the shooting, Cohen said.

Ohringer’s death marks the fourth officer-involved shooting this year and the second fatal.

There were 28 officer-involved shootings in San Diego in 1990, which was the highest number of police shootings in San Diego since 1985. Twelve of those were fatal, which broke a 6-year-old record.

Times staff writer Mark Platte contributed to this story.