Escondido was the scene of a police shooting involving a man wielding a knife among traffic last Wednesday, as confirmed by the San Diego Police Department via an email press release. Juan Ramos, 54, reportedly ignored commands to drop the knife when confronted by two police officers and a detective at approximately 12:10 PM on South Centre City Parkway, according to San Diego's official press release. The situation escalated when Ramos charged at the detective with the knife, leading all three law enforcement members to open fire.
In a follow-up on the incident, Hoodline reports that even after being struck by gunfire and falling to the ground, Ramos got back up and continued to approach the officers with the knife in hand, prompting a second discharge from officers. Additional police later arrived and deployed less lethal sponge rounds, one of which knocked the knife from Ramos's grip, allowing officers to administer medical aid. Ramos, now charged with assaulting a peace officer with a deadly weapon, is recovering at Palomar Medical Center and is expected to survive.
Officers involved in the shooting were identified as Timothy Mills, an 8-month veteran of the force, Robert Bellamy, with approximately 17 years of service, and Detective Jeffery Bolton, who has been with the Escondido Police Department for about 3 years. The incident, captured on body-worn cameras by the uniformed officers, is subject to a comprehensive investigation process and review by several agencies, including the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, as detailed in the press release from the City of San Diego.
Ramos faces serious charges, and the investigative bodies have urged anyone with knowledge of the episode to come forward. Concerned parties or individuals with information relevant to this case are asked to contact Escondido's Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
