SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A man was arrested Monday after a pursuit and shooting involving an officer in the La Mesa area.
Jahlil Johnson, 29, of La Mesa, was booked into county jail for multiple felony charges including domestic violence and child endangerment, Lt. Daniel Meyer with the San Diego Police Department said in a news release.
Around 10:40 a.m., La Mesa Police Department officers responded to a report of a man strangling a female in the area of 7700 Normal Avenue.
When authorities arrived, the suspect drove away with the 29-year-old woman inside his vehicle, according to SDPD.
As officers attempted to pull the car over, the driver pulled over briefly to let the woman passenger exit, but then took off again.
The pursuit was terminated, however, officers learned two young children, ages 5 and 7, were still inside the vehicle.
The suspect then returned to the woman’s location where he dropped her off and let the kids exit the vehicle.
Police reinitiated the pursuit, deploying a tire deflation device that didn’t slow down the driver.
The driver eventually stopped in the area of 4400 Parks Avenue where he backed into the front of a police vehicle stopped behind him.
The passenger officer was preparing to exit the police vehicle to conduct a high-risk vehicle stop when the police vehicle was struck, causing the officer to hit his head and injuring him, per SDPD.
“In response, the officer fired his handgun multiple times in the direction of the suspect vehicle. The vehicle was struck several times, but the suspect himself was not hit,” Meyer said.
Another pursuit ensued into the city of San Diego and then back into La Mesa where tire deflation devices were deployed at least twice more, but the driver did not stop.
Then in the area of 7800 University Avenue, a relative of the suspect stepped into traffic in front of the suspect’s vehicle, forcing the pursuit to end.
The suspect tried to run from authorities for about two blocks, but officers with La Mesa, San Diego and El Cajon were able to catch up with him. A taser and police K-9 were used to bring the suspect into custody.
Johnson, who was not struck by gunfire, was taken to a local hospital for his injuries from the arrest.
The injured La Mesa police officer, who has been with the department for eight years, was taken to a hospital for treatment and has since been released.
San Diego Police Homicide Detectives are investigating the incident per the countywide memorandum of understanding regarding officer-involved shooting.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.