CARLSBAD — Authorities have publicly identified a Carlsbad police officer who opened fire on a suspect last week – missing him – after suffering serious injuries in an alleged bludgeoning assault with a skateboard.
Michael McKinney, who has been employed by the Carlsbad Police Department since September of 2022, shot at 32-year-old Kyle Andrew McCord of San Diego as the suspect was fleeing following the alleged assault, officials said. Other officers then chased down McCord and arrested him a short distance away.
Paramedics took McKinney to a hospital for treatment of serious head trauma, according to the San Diego Police Department, which investigates shootings on the part of Carlsbad police under terms of a countywide policy designed to prevent conflicts of interest.
The events that led to the non-injury gunfire began late Friday, SDPD Lt. Steve Shebloski said. McKinney was driving to the west on Carlsbad Village Drive underneath Interstate 5 about 11:15 p.m. when a rock struck his marked patrol car, shattering the windshield and destroying a spotlight attached to it. The officer responded by calling for a supervisor and pulling into a nearby parking lot to inspect the damage.
A short time later, McCord allegedly ran up and struck McKinney in the head from behind with a skateboard, then ran off to the west. Taking cover next to a nearby business, the injured officer opened fire, discharging three rounds that flew wide of the mark.
McCord ran for about three blocks before officers caught up with him and took him into custody. He was booked into county jail on suspicion of assault and attempted murder of a peace officer.
“Detectives are currently investigating whether the rock that struck the patrol car in this incident was an accident or (an) intentional act carried out by the suspect or another person,” the lieutenant said Thursday.
McCord remains jailed without bail. He pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon to felony counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism. A criminal complaint alleges McCord was out on bail in a separate, unrelated case when last week’s incident occurred.
