Police Fatally Shoot Transient in San Diego

Police fatally shot a transient who allegedly charged at them with a stick Tuesday outside a fast-food restaurant. A patrol dog was wounded by one of the bullets.

Five officers were attempting to arrest the man and three fired after he lunged toward them, said Bill Robinson, a spokesman for the San Diego Police Department.

The man, whose name was not released, had struck a man on a bicycle and two people inside a McDonald’s restaurant with the stick before police arrived, Robinson said.

One witness, Jeff King, said the man was walking away from police when the police dog and an officer came at him from behind. When he turned around and raised the stick, officers shot him.

The man was taken to University of San Diego Medical Center, where he died shortly after arrival. Authorities did not reveal how many times he was shot, although at least four witnesses told reporters that officers fired as many as four shots.

The police dog was struck once in the paw and is expected to make a full recovery, Robinson said.