Search fatalities

Enrique Cortez Jr.

Gender : Male

Age : 37

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 04/14/2025

Location : 800 block of 26th Street

City : San Diego

County : San Diego

State : California

Agency : San Diego Police Department

Officer(s) :Sgt. Richard Curtis, Acting Sgt. Bryan Shields

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during pursuit

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On April 14, 2025, San Diego police responded to a report of a man with a rifle partially concealed in his jacket near Sanger Place and Blanche Street in San Ysidro. The suspect, later identified as Enrique Cortez Jr., placed the rifle into a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, retrieved a handgun, and fired a shot into the ground during an argument with a bicyclist.
When officers arrived, Cortez entered the truck and fled, leading police on a pursuit that lasted over 30 minutes, involving Interstate 5, Interstate 15, and surface streets. The chase concluded in the 800 block of 26th Street in the Golden Hill neighborhood, where Cortez's vehicle collided with a police K-9 unit, causing minor injuries to an officer.As officers attempted to box in the vehicle, Cortez revved the engine. In response, SDPD SWAT officers Sgt. Richard Curtis and Acting Sgt. Bryan Shields fired multiple rounds, striking Cortez. Officers removed him from the vehicle and initiated lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A rifle and a handgun were recovered from the truck.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, with oversight from the District Attorney's Office and the FBI.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/golden-hill-police-shooting-man-identified/3807124/
https://www.sdsheriff.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3355/514
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/sheriffs-release-name-victim-officers-fatal-golden-hill-shooting-pursuit/509-8753305e-9526-4da7-ab67-1dc7904c1a6e