REGION — Authorities have publicly identified three San Diego Police Department officers who fatally shot an auto-theft and domestic- violence suspect last week when he allegedly opened fire on police at a 4S Ranch community strip mall, severely wounding an SDPD sergeant.
Officers Tanarat Crowe, Darrion Talalele and Trevor Wright fired on Curtis Harris, 46, during the shootout in a parking lot at 4S Commons Town Center late on the evening of Dec. 7, according to the county sheriff’s department, which investigates uses of lethal force by SDPD personnel.
The volley of gunfire mortally wounded Harris and left SDPD Sgt. Anthony Elliott with a bullet wound to the head. Elliott was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
The events that led to the deadly confrontation in 4S Ranch began about 10 p.m. that night, when police began searching for Harris, the subject of an unserved restraining order and a suspect in a vehicle theft and a domestic-abuse case, sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Jarjura said.
Roughly 90 minutes later, officers found the allegedly stolen vehicle parked at the northeastern San Diego shopping center.
“Officers developed a plan to serve the suspect with the (court order),” Jarjura said. “The suspect was inside (a) Ralphs store. Some officers attempted to contact him, but he ran out of the store. Other officers were outside of the store and in the parking lot.”
Upon exiting the supermarket, the suspect started shooting at officers, drawing the fusillade of return fire that killed him, according to Jarjura.
Elliott, a husband and father of two young sons, remained hospitalized this week, undergoing “critical care,” according to the San Diego Police Officers Association.
Contributions to aid the family during his recovery may be made to the Peace Officers Research Association of California at https://porac.org/fundraiser/sdpd-sgtelliott/ or via GoFundMe.com at https://www.gofundme.com/f/go-fund-me-for-the-elliott-family.
