Authorities released the name Wednesday of a man who was fatally shot by his off-duty policeman brother after allegedly stabbing him with steak knives and attacking their mother in the family's South Bay condominium.
Wesley Castillo, 35, died Friday morning at the scene of the domestic dispute in the 300 block Center Street in Chula Vista. His 39-year-old sibling, San Diego police Officer Bryan Castillo, was hospitalized for treatment of stab wounds.
The events that led to the deadly confrontation began about 8:15 a.m., when Wesley Castillo, who reportedly had stopped taking medication prescribed to him to treat longtime mental illness, grew agitated and put his mother in a headlock, police Lt. Fritz Reber said.
Bryan Castillo was on his way out the door for the day when he heard the commotion and intervened. The brothers struggled for several minutes before the younger man managed to get the other's concealed pistol out of its holster. The men then wrestled over the weapon for a time, until the officer was able to take the gun back and hide it, Reber said.
At that point, Wesley Castillo got a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his brother in the chest, prompting their mother, who was uninjured, to make a 911 call. The assailant then allegedly grabbed more knives and went after Bryan Castillo again as the lawman retrieved his pistol.
"As Wesley was stabbing Bryan, Bryan fired several times," the lieutenant said.
Patrol officers arrived to find the older brother in a parking lot in front of his apartment. He identified himself as a policeman, gave them his gun and told them he'd shot his brother. Wesley Castillo remained inside the residence, mortally wounded.
The older brother was taken to UCSD Medical Center for treatment of various knife wounds, including a punctured right lung. He was released from the hospital Sunday.
Chula Vista police have concluded that Bryan Castillo, a nine-year member of the San Diego Police Department, opened fire in legally justifiable self-defense.
"I think it was clear that (he) was in a fight for his life," Reber said.
The District Attorney's Office will review the case and make an independent ruling, the lieutenant said.
