Bodycam video: Man shot dead by police at San Diego school had replica firearm
Video: Tony Shin live from the scene as the sheriff's office investigates deadly officer-involved shooting in City Heights
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- San Diego Police have released bodycam footage of a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in late September near a San Diego elementary school. The Department of Justice has taken over the investigation after it was discovered that the man had a replica firearm and not a real one.
The deadly shooting happened on Sept. 23 in the 5100 block of Orange Avenue in City Heights after Fay Elementary School staff called police at 6:30 a.m. to report a man that appeared to be homeless and armed with a firearm and knife who was on school grounds while children were arriving at school. The caller said he tried to get the man to leave the area, but he appeared not to understand him.
The campus was placed on lockdown and police responded.
Watch the bodycam footage released on Oct. 23 by the San Diego Police Department here.
Police arrived and found 41-year-old Huy Ly at the location with what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband and tried for several minutes to communicate with him in English and Vietnamese, but the bodycam footage shows he did not comply.
Officers then shot less-lethal beanbag rounds at Ly and released a K-9, but the video shows he still did not comply. He then ran into an alley toward Orange Avenue after an officer shot more beanbag rounds at him, and police followed.
During the foot pursuit, the video shows Ly pull an object from his waistband as police give him more commands to drop the gun at the end of the alley.
As he was running from the alley onto Orange Avenue, the video shows him turn towards pursuing officers while still holding the apparent firearm. That's when San Diego Police Officers Ruiz and Basson fired several shots at Ly with their service weapons.
Officers at the scene gave Ly CPR and life-saving medical treatment until San Diego Fire paramedics arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
After the deadly shooting, investigators learned the apparent firearm that Ly had on him was a replica firearm and not real. He did have a knife on him that was found in the alley after the incident, according to police.
Because the firearm Ly had on him was not real, the California Department of Justice took over the investigation, citing Assembly Bill 1506. The California DOJ is required to investigate all officer-involved shootings that result in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state.
The San Diego Police Department's Internal Affairs Unit will open an administrative investigation.
The shooting review board will be evaluating the decisions made by the officers during the officer-involved shooting.
The commission on police practices will review the officer-involved shooting and provide any recommendations.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office will be monitoring the investigation.
