6 Local Law Enforcement Officers Cleared In 5 Shootings

SAN DIEGO, CA — Six local law enforcement officers have been cleared of criminal liability in five separate police shootings, according to reviews released Thursday by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

The shootings date from February 2023 through November 2023, and happened in Escondido, Chula Vista, San Ysidro, La Mesa and Fallbrook.

Of the five police shootings, four were fatal.

The shootings reviewed by prosecutors include:

-- The Nov. 3, 2023 fatal shooting of Douglas Quinn, 48, in Escondido.

Escondido police responded just after 6:30 a.m. for a man sleeping on the front porch of a home inside a mobile home park on East Valley Parkway.

The man had left by the time Escondido police officers Michael Statti and Anthony Lay arrived, but later they saw a man -- Quinn -- who matched the description standing next to a motorcycle.

After learning that Quinn had an extraditable felony warrant out of Indiana, they told Quinn they were going to place him in handcuffs and he refused, according to a review of the shooting released by the District Attorney's Office.

The review states Quinn reached towards his rear waistband and then took off running.

Statti pointed his gun at Quinn and yelled, "Don't you touch it," according to the review, which states Quinn pulled his gun out and fired at least four shots at Statti.

Statti and Lay returned fire, shooting Quinn, who fell into bushes. The review states the officers ordered Quinn to drop his weapon and Quinn raised his gun and pointed it in Statti's direction.

Statti then fire more rounds at Quinn.

Other officers arrived with a police dog and because it was unknown whether Quinn was still armed with the gun, the dog was sent in to grab Quinn's leg and pull him from the bushes.

Afterwards, he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The D.A.'s review states that after Quinn opened fire, "less-than- lethal force options were not feasible and would not have been effective under the circumstances." It also concluded that when Quinn raised his gun the second time while in the bushes, "Statti immediately addressed the lethal threat."

-- The Feb. 4, 2023 fatal shooting of Perri Sammarco, 37, in Chula Vista.

Police responded to a Moss Street apartment, where residents reported two homeless man were yelling and banging on doors.

The responding officers found Sammarco and another beneath a stairwell, according to the District Attorney's Office, which said Sammarco told the officer to back up, while the other man said Sammarco had a knife.

The officers then drew their weapons and told Sammarco to drop the knife, at which point he grabbed the other man, put a knife to his neck and threatened to cut his throat, according to the D.A.'s review, which says Sammarco cut the man's neck, drawing blood.

Chula Vista Police Officer Alfonso Perdomo climbed onto the balcony of an apartment near where the incident was unfolding. The D.A.'s review says he exited the apartment and having a full view of Sammarco and the hostage, Perdomo shot Sammarco in the head. Sammarco was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The D.A.'s review concluded that Sammarco didn't comply with officers' commands to drop the knife and he "made it clear he did not intend to release the hostage."

With Sammarco "becoming more agitated," the D.A.'s review states "Perdomo determined the only way to safely ensure (the hostage's) rescue was to demobilize Sammarco through the application of deadly force."

-- The June 4, 2023 fatal shooting of Mauricio Sanchez Ramos, 19, in San Ysidro.

San Diego police initially received a report of an armed man foaming at the mouth on a trolley headed towards San Ysidro.

At the San Ysidro trolley station, Sanchez Ramos was found sitting inside a trolley car.

San Diego Police Officer Ruben Perez Berton Jr. and his partner yelled at Sanchez Ramos to put his hands up, the D.A.'s review states, but Sanchez Ramos instead reached into his waistband and grabbed a handgun. The pistol later turned out to be a BB gun.

The D.A.'s review states Sanchez Ramos walked towards the officers and pointed the handgun. Berton then fire 10 rounds, striking Sanchez Ramos multiple times.

The D.A.'s review concluded that Sanchez Ramos pointed a "realistic looking weapon" at the officers, and that "due to the quickly evolving nature of the contact and what objectively and reasonably appeared to be a life- threatening gesture, Berton did not have the opportunity to further attempt to de-escalate the situation."

-- The Aug. 6, 2023 fatal shooting of Jason Hampton, 41, in La Mesa.

According to the D.A.'s Office, La Mesa Police Officer Brian Heller drove to a University Avenue apartment complex and encountered Hampton, who had a felony warrant.

Once at the apartment complex, Heller found Hampton standing next to a pickup truck. When Heller approached Hampton and tried to confirm if he was in fact Hampton, the D.A.'s Office says Hampton pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Heller.

Heller then took cover behind a vehicle, at which point he saw Hampton again point the gun at him, according to the D.A.'s review.

Heller fired five shots in Hampton's direction. Hampton took off running and Heller gave chase and during the foot pursuit, Hampton pointed his gun at Heller.

Heller fired four more rounds, one of which struck Hampton in the neck.

The D.A.'s review states, "Hampton's actions made it clear he intended to evade Officer Heller and that he was willing to shoot Heller in order to achieve that end." It further states Hampton pulled the trigger on Heller multiple times, but his gun didn't discharge due to a "stovepipe" malfunction.

-- The April 21, 2023 non-fatal shooting of a 41-year-old man in Fallbrook.

Sheriff's deputies responded for a report of a suicidal, armed man and found the man holding a long rifle, according to the D.A.'s review.

San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy Corporal Evan McCormick and another deputy ordered the man to show his hands, but the man pointed the rifle towards them and yelled, "What are you going to do?"

McCormick then fired six rounds, striking the man.

The D.A.'s review states McCormick "reasonably feared (the man) would kill one or all of them" and he reasonably believed the man "presented an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury."

— City News Service