By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

August 7, 2023 (La Mesa) – A wanted felon was shot and killed yesterday afternoon by La Mesa Police. 

As is protocol,  San Diego Police Department is investigating the shooting. ECM news partner reports that SDPD Lt. Steve Shebloski says

According to SDPD, around 4:15, an officer recognized the suspect, 41, who had an active felony warrant.  The officer confronted him in the parking lot of the Cypress Plaza condominiums in the  8000 block of University Avenue.

According to LMPD officers, the man pulled out a handgun during the interaction and fired, striking a passing vehicle, said Lt. Shebloski, 10 News reports.

Hear our interview with Jonathan Markovitz:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

March 7, 2016 (San Diego) –Last month, the American Civil Liberties Chapter of San Diego sent a letter to the U.S. Justice Department signed by 25 community leaders asking for an investigation of the San Diego Police Department’s use of force against mentally ill people.  We sat down with Jonathan Markovitz from the San Diego ACLU for an interview on KNSJ, the Network for Social Justice.  You can hear our interview at the link in this story.

The letter was prompted by recent shootings including the fatal shooting of Fridoon Rawshan Nehad (photo, left), an Afghan army veteran who has suffered post-traumatic stress syndrome.  The officer was mistakenly informed by a dispatcher that Nehad had a knife. But surveillance video showed that he was unarmed, walking down an alley carrying only a pen, when he was shot and killed.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2013 (San Diego) – An unconscious motorist was rescued from a burning car in Grantville Saturday night by San Diego Police Officer Scott Brengi. 

After the vehicle rolled over, the driver was trapped upside down, suspended by a seatbelt, when the vehicle caught fire.Officer Brengi pried open the door and crawled in on his back to pull the driver to safety as flames reached the passenger compartment..

“The Officer suffered an arm strain and is doing fine," Captain David Rohowits said today.

By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2013 (Alpine) --A San Diego Police officer who lost his leg after his motorcycle was struck by a sedan Alpine back in June is now flying high. Today, James “Chappie” Hunter donned a jet pack to soar over Mission Bay, raising money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and his own medical bills.

"I'm doing amazingly great," Chappie, 41, told ECM news partner 10News. This week, he is also being fitted for a prosthetic leg.  "I've already stood once for the first time last week and I'll be walking later this week for the first time," he added.

September 13, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL REGION

• U-T San Diego to buy North County Times, Californian (North County Times)
• Security tightening at Gillespie Field flight schools that service foreign nationals (Santee Patch)
• San Diego’s low income communities want clean energy (KPBS)
• Local mom: School puts putting son’s life at risk (10 News)
• Poway man invents eco-friendly lawn mower (10 News)
• Arrest made in auto theft series involving Maseratis and Mercedes (Mount Helix Patch)
• Lakeside crime report: Three cars torched (Santee Patch)
• Guilty plea by 21st century “snake oil salesman” targeted by 60 minutes (La Mesa Patch)
• Reporters challenge SDPD credentialing process (CityBeat)

STATE

• Judge upholds Schwarzenegger reduction of Nunez son’s prison sentence (Sacrament Bee)
• Jerry Brown: Chamber clearing the way for tax bid by staying neutral (Sacramento Bee)
• Sikhs applaud as Brown signs 2 anti-discrimination bills

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

June 20, 2012 (San Diego)--The San Diego Police Department  today asked for help from the public to find Beverly Simmons, 57. She was last seen in the area of 2400 Fairmount Ave. on Wednesday of last week, according to an SDPD bulletin.

February 4, 2012 (San Diego) - San Diego Police Department patrol officers from Southeastern Division have arrested a 16-year-old boy for pointing a laser at the police helicopter, ABLE. Such actions can put a pilot’s light in danger, since night vision goggles amplify light 30,000 times and the flash can be blinding.

October 1, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police Officer Jason Prokop was struck and killed early this morning while attempting to come to the aid of a motorist after his vehicle struck a stopped car ahead of him. He was off duty at the time, said Lt. Andra Brown. A five-year veteran of the police force, Prokop was married and leaves behind a toddler and an infant, ECM News partner 10 News reports.

July 11, 2011 (San Diego) -- San Diego Police Department Homicide Unit detectives have arrested two suspects for the October, 2010 shooting death of Aaron Robinson inside his 54^th Street apartment.

September 29, 2010 (SanDiego’s East County) – Four Hispanic men with guns staged a home invasion robbery at 344 Cardiff Street in the Jamacha/Lomita neighborhood in East County this afternoon. According to officer David Stafford with  San Diego Police, the suspects tied up the victim, ransacked his house, and used a motorized drill found at the scene to puncture a  hole in the victim’s back.

July 25, 2010 (College area) – Two men in their 60s walking on the 4500 block of College Avenue near Acorn Street were robbed at gunpoint at 5:33 a.m. yesterday morning. A black male driving a green Honda two-door pulled up next to the victims, pulled out a handgun and demanded cash.