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Public Safety

US Citizen Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting At San Ysidro Port of Entry

Cars wait to enter the United States from Tijuana through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Dec. 3, 2014.
Gregory Bull / Associated Press
Cars wait to enter the United States from Tijuana through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Dec. 3, 2014.

A 23-year-old man who opened fire on U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel at the San Ysidro Port of Entry was shot and killed by agents, authorities said Tuesday morning.

Police received a call of an officer-involved shooting about 7:45 p.m. Monday and responded to the secondary inspection area of the Port of Entry to assist CBP agents and learned a suspect had been wounded in the shooting, according to Lt. Matt Dobbs of the San Diego Police Department.

"CBP officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel attempted life-saving measures on the suspect; however, he, unfortunately, did not survive his injuries," Dobbs said.

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Witnesses told investigators the suspect was driving through the Port of Entry from Mexico into the United States and refused to stop for CBP officers and "attempted to drive through the inspection area," Dobbs said.

CBP officers tried to stop the suspect, whose vehicle was eventually blocked by another vehicle, Dobbs said.

"The suspect began firing a gun out of his vehicle towards the officers, then exited his vehicle and continued firing at the officers," Dobbs said. "The officers returned fire, striking the suspect."

The name of the suspect was not immediately released, but he was a U.S. citizen, Dobbs said.

Seven CBP officers were involved in the shooting, but none were injured.

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Anyone who witnessed the shooting was asked to call SDPD's Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

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