GRAPHIC: Suspect Escapes From Cuffs In Patrol Car, Goes To Take Gun From Trunk, Gets Taken Out

San Diego police shot and wounded a 25-year-old man Sunday night at police headquarters who they said slipped out a hand out of handcuffs and grabbed an officer’s gun that was being stored in the back of a police SUV.

Police said the man fired the gun at least once at police before three officers fired their guns, hitting him at least once in the torso.

The man was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound and injuries caused when a police dog bit him. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

The shooting occurred shortly after 8 p.m. at police headquarters on Broadway and 14th Street. No officers were injured.

At headquarters, the man was left in the back seat of a police SUV parked in the station’s sally port as an officer filled out booking paperwork.

It was at that point that he slipped a hand out of his handcuffs and broke a plexiglass divider in the vehicle between the back seat and trunk area, authorities said. He was able to get into the back area, where he found a backpack the officer used to store a backup handgun.

“The male was able to grab the handgun and bring it into the rear of the police car,” Freedman said.

When officers went to check on the man, they saw that he was armed. They drew their handguns and backed away and took cover.

Officers told the man to drop the weapon, but he didn’t and he fired at least one round, police said. Three officers returned fire.

After he was shot, the man “reached out the car window, opened the door and exited the patrol vehicle. He was still armed with the handgun and would not comply with officers’ directions,” police Lt. Andra Brown said in a statement.

According to Brown, the man tried to open the rear cargo compartment and the driver’s door of the patrol vehicle, despite officers’ orders to stop. Because he still posed a threat, she said, a police dog was deployed and bit the man.

After that, officers moved in and again handcuffed the man — and then provided medical aid. The man was transported to a local hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds and dog bites.

Police have not yet released the names of the officers involved in the shooting. They said one had been with the department for eight years, one for six years, and one had been on the force for 10 months.

The homicide unit is investigating the shooting and will present its findings to the District Attorney’s Office to determine if any officer should be prosecuted. The Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an investigation to determine if any policies were violated, and the department’s Shooting Review Board will evaluate tactics used by the officers. The Community Review Board on Police Practices also will conduct a review.

Freedman said the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the investigations.