In a violent end to an encounter with San Diego Sherriff’s deputies, 27-year-old Mizael Corrales was stopped while driving a stolen vehicle on February 19, 2022. He attempted to escape officers by using the vehicle as a deadly weapon and placed the lives of several officers in severe peril. Corrales was in turn shot and killed when Detective Anthony Garcia opened fire to protect his fellow officers.
Video footage from the SDSD shows conclusively that after being ordered out of the vehicle Corrales instead threw the SUV he was driving into reverse striking two officers and inflicting minor injuries on them, he then turned the vehicle toward innocent bystanders and Detective Garcia who fired his service weapon three times into the vehicle’s windshield and then nine more times through the window as Corrales attempted to flee narrowly missing several pedestrians and other officers while ramming two Sherriff’s vehicles.
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Investigations To Follow After Detective Shoots Suspect Ramming Him
According to the San Diego Sherriff’s Department, the San Diego Police Department is investigating the shooting because it took place within their jurisdiction. In a statement, the SDPD wrote,
“Detectives are in the process of collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The investigation is ongoing, but detectives learned that San Diego Sheriff’s deputies working in the area located an occupied stolen vehicle. Additional deputies arrived on scene and contacted the driver of the vehicle, giving him commands to exit the vehicle. Deputies were able to remove two passengers from the vehicle. The driver did not comply with deputies’ orders and instead, the male attempted to drive away and struck two deputies, knocking them to the ground. This prompted one of the deputies to fire his service weapon. The vehicle continued to drive away and struck two Sheriff’s vehicles before coming to a stop. Both deputies were treated for minor injuries. The two passengers were not injured and were questioned about the incident.”
Authorities on Thursday publicly identified the auto-theft suspect fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy in Otay Mesa after he allegedly ran down two lawmen https://t.co/m39Vlk1tP1
— Times of San Diego (@TimesofSanDiego) February 25, 2022
As of this writing, the investigation is still underway, with the San Diego Sherriff reporting that “Numerous independent investigations are also ongoing by the District Attorney’s Office and the County’s Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB). The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Attorney’s Office are also monitoring the investigation. A determination regarding the legitimacy of the shooting will be determined when these investigations have concluded.”
The absence of any major controversy over the shooting stands in stark relief to other cases that are equally cut and dried where the police are maligned, libeled, and slandered on social media. It would appear that even the activists can see this one was a clean shoot. While any loss of life is tragic, this doesn’t seem to be one you can blame on the police.
