By Caleb Lunetta
The San Diego Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO — Body-worn camera footage released Tuesday shows a San Diego police officer exchange gunfire with a man — wounding the suspect — during a foot pursuit in Balboa Park last month.
Allen Baker, 55, allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired just before Officer Kellan Taeatafa-De La Rosa returned fire multiple times, striking Baker, on Dec. 16 near Balboa and Quince drives, investigators said.
Baker was arrested on charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting under a countywide agreement that law enforcement agencies do not investigate shootings involving their own officers.
Taeatafa-De La Rosa has been with the San Diego Police Department for about five years and is currently assigned to patrol at the Central Division.
The edited video begins by showing Taeatafa-De La Rosa and another officer attempting to make contact with a man riding an e-bike in Balboa Park, text in the video reads.
The video shows Taeatafa-De La Rosa driving in his patrol vehicle, seemingly waving toward the cyclist and telling him to stop or pull over.
As the officer stopped his vehicle and exited, the man ditched his bicycle and ran away. Taeatafa-De La Rosa chased him through the park for about 30 seconds.
When Baker reached a clearing, he appeared to turn toward Taeatafa-De La Rosa.
“Hey, stop!” Taeatafa-De La Rosa shouted after Baker pulled out a handgun and pointed it toward him, the video shows. Baker fired one shot at the officer, and Taeatafa-De La Rosa quickly pulled out his service weapon and returned fire, shooting multiple rounds, according to the video. Baker then fell to the ground.
He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The video includes a photo of a handgun; text in the video says it was found in a nearby bush.
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