Authorities said the North Park confrontation began with reports of a man damaging vehicles and escalated inside a business on 30th Street.
SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego police fatally shot a man Wednesday after authorities said he damaged vehicles, fled into a North Park business with a torch and flammable liquid, burned a police dog and continued trying to start a fire despite officers using less-lethal rounds.
The Sept. 16 confrontation began shortly after 9 a.m. near El Cajon Boulevard and Oregon Street, according to accounts from San Diego police and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Officers responding to a disturbance encountered a man whom authorities said was acting violently and breaking vehicle windows. Some early reports described him as carrying or using a hammer or metal rod. Police said he fled on foot when officers approached.
The man ran to the Adult Emporium in the 4000 block of 30th Street, authorities said. Police said he entered the business carrying flammable liquid and an item capable of producing a large flame. Officers surrounded the area as they tried to take him into custody. Authorities had not publicly identified the man as of early Thursday, and officials had not released information explaining what led to his actions.
Police sent a service dog into the business during the confrontation. Authorities said the man used the flame against the dog, burning the animal on the neck and hind legs. The K-9 was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital and was released about three hours later, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Officials did not immediately release a detailed assessment of the dog’s injuries.
Officers also fired beanbag rounds in an attempt to stop the man, but authorities said those efforts did not prevent him from continuing to try to set the building on fire. A San Diego police officer then fired multiple rounds from a service weapon, striking the man at least once, according to investigators. Officials had not released the officer’s name or said exactly how many shots were fired.
Authorities said the man also caught fire during the encounter. Officers pulled him from the business and provided medical aid before paramedics took him to a hospital. He later died, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Juan Marquez said. Officials had not said whether the gunshot wounds, burns or a combination of injuries caused his death. The county Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to determine the cause and manner of death.
Three San Diego police officers suffered minor burns to their hands while providing aid during the incident and were treated at a hospital, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Earlier accounts from police had reported two officers with burn injuries. No life-threatening injuries to officers were reported. Authorities had not confirmed whether customers or employees were inside the business when the confrontation began or how badly the building was damaged.
The shooting prompted police to close the 4000 block of 30th Street and part of Polk Avenue between Kansas and Ohio streets while investigators processed the scene. Officers and investigators remained in the North Park neighborhood for hours as evidence was collected and the sequence of events was examined.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the police shooting under a countywide agreement that calls for an outside law enforcement agency to investigate shootings involving San Diego police officers. After that investigation is completed, the findings can be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for any potential criminal liability. San Diego police also conduct an internal review of officers’ actions in critical incidents. Authorities had not announced when additional evidence, including body-camera footage, would be released.
The investigation remained active Thursday. The man’s identity, the identity of the officer who fired, the precise sequence inside the business and the extent of the property damage had not been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated September 17, 2026.