Police: Richmond officer shot suspect in self-defense

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- A man is in critical condition Thursday afternoon after a Richmond police officer shot him when he allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, police said.

The officer was on patrol around 1:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Nevin Avenue when he came across a suspicious person, Richmond police Capt. Mark Gagan said.

The officer then got out of his patrol car. Richmond police Capt. Mark Gagan explained what happened next.

"It looks like the officer was in a full uniform. He was here to investigate a suspicious person," Gagan said. "The person pulled a firearm and the officer defended himself by shooting the suspect."

Gagan says the suspect was armed with a semi automatic handgun with an extended magazine which carries more than ten rounds. The gun has been recovered.

"The officer shot the suspect in defense of his own life," Gagan said.

The suspect, a young Hispanic male was shot multiple times in the torso and is in critical condition at a local hospital. The officer is also a Hispanic who speaks Spanish.

"The officer is a veteran police officer who's been recently transferred to patrol. In the past, he's worked other assignments where he's been dealing with gang members and people who carry weapons," Gagan said.

Gagan said investigators from the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office arrived on scene just after 2:30 p.m. and will take over the investigation, a countywide policy.

"We let them take the lead in officer-involved shootings," Gagan said. "We're here to play a supporting role."

Earlier Thursday, Richmond police Chief Chris Magnus wrote on Twitter about an officer who was shot in the line of duty in Flagstaff, Arizona.

"Just how fast do officers face danger, even death?" Magnus wrote in the tweet, which included a link to what he called a "chilling video" from the officer's body camera.

The officer may have been wearing a body cam. They were passed out to officers just a week ago and now they're in a test phase, so it's not mandatory for officers to wear them yet.

Bay City news contributed to this report.