San Diego police have identified 33-year-old Saul Sandoval Chavez as the man shot and killed on September 16th after a chaotic sequence of events in North Park. According to SDPD Lieutenant Juan Marquez, Chavez was seen smashing car windows with a chain before fleeing from officers, and was later spotted carrying an incendiary device and flammable liquid. He barricaded himself inside a sex shop on the block and set the building on fire, also burning a police K-9 in the process.
Officer Kyle Lehr, a ten-year veteran assigned to the Canine Unit, fired the shots that killed Chavez, who later died at a hospital. Three officers were treated for minor hand burns, and the K-9 was treated and released. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has taken over the investigation into the shooting, which is standard practice for incidents involving a local police agency.
The incident has prompted conversations across North Park about crisis response, use of force, and the risks that K-9 units face on dangerous calls. As the independent investigation moves forward, more details are expected to emerge about what led to the confrontation and how it unfolded. What questions do you want answered as this story develops?
