The San Diego Police Department released video footage Friday of the fatal shooting by three officers of a robbery suspect who allegedly pulled a knife and a pellet gun on them this week in Logan Heights.
SDPD Officers Michael Martinez, Michael Muniz and Angel Vidrios fired about four dozen rounds at Isaac Andrade, 21, in an alley off the 3100 block of Imperial Avenue shortly after 7:30 a.m. Monday. Andrade, a San Diego resident, died at the scene.
A few minutes earlier, Andrade allegedly had pulled a large knife on a clerk at a nearby market and demanded cash. A security camera behind the sales counter captured images of the victim emptying currency from the register and pushing it toward to the armed man, who wadded it up and walked off.
A short time later, officers arrived in the access road just south of the store, where the thief had fled and immediately spotted Andrade heading east on foot.
Despite Muniz's repeated order not to reach into his jacket, Andrade did so, pulling out a knife in his left hand and, with the other, producing what appeared to be a pistol and pointing it at Martinez.
Martinez, Muniz and Vidrios responded by unleashing a fusillade of gunfire while retreating and taking cover.
Andrade fell to the ground, then moments later, sat up and again pointed the gun in the direction of Martinez, who initially believed mistakenly that he had been shot. The officers then discharged another barrage of bullets.
Police and firefighters tried in vain to revive Andrade before paramedics pronounced him dead.
Investigators determined that the small black pistol found near the mortally wounded suspect was an airsoft-style pellet gun modified to resemble an actual firearm, according to police.
