A Hammond Police K-9 officer was placed on administrative leave this week after YouTube video surfaced of the officer apparently abusing his police dog.

The video posted Wednesday shows an officer using a leash to lift the dog to its hind legs, then striking the dog's middle section with what appears to be another leash. He then lifts the dog into the air by the leash, and the dog is seen swinging around once.

The dog is struck another time before being directed back to the squad car.

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The Hammond, Ind. Police Department received the video and placed the officer on leave pending a full investigation of the incident, a police spokesman said in a statement.

Police do not name the officer in the statement.

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"At this time, the Department has observed behavior by the K-9 handler that appears to be inconsistent with acceptable training guidelines," the spokesman said.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. issued the following statement regarding the video:

"Anybody who loves dogs as much as I do is always saddened and shocked anytime you hear of a dog's abuse. When you find out it happened with an employee of yours, it makes it that much more shocking and disturbing. Please know that the Hammond PD does not condone that type of behavior of any of it's officers, nor is it tolerated in this administration."

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Officials with the Humane Society worry the dog many have been injured.

"It's certainly not any training I would condone or urge anyone to follow," said Kristina Montgomery of the Calumet Area Humane Society. "Lifting a dog like that off the ground can do damage to the training itself, but also to the dog’s physical health."

Attempts to reach out to the person who posted the video to YouTube were not immediately returned.  

A strip club and two other buildings collapsed in northwest D.C. Friday afternoon, sending patrons and dancers into the streets.

Some inside the club were forced to jump out of second-story windows as the buildings' floors pancaked into each other. 

"[We were] just dancing, doing our routine ... and the wall collapsed in on the kitchen and the bathroom. Some of the girls were shaken up," Olivia, a dancer at The Cloakroom, told News4.

No serious injuries were reported, though one person was transported to a local hospital.

Witnesses described panic on a stretch of K Street packed with bars and restaurants. "There were three guys that got out of there," said Ryan Multer, a witness, pointing to the rubble from across the street. "And there was a woman -- you could see she was on her cell phone -- and she was going back and forth on her cell phone in there in distress, but she eventually got out.

"We didn't know what was going on," Multer said.

The buildings are located in the 400 block of K Street NW. The first collapse happened around 3 p.m. and appeared to involve in a red brick building for sale, as well as the building next to it.

That building houses The Cloakroom, which bills itself as an "adult entertainment" venue. The club opened at noon Friday, and had eight dancers scheduled to perform a noon through 7 p.m. shift.

"I was eating lunch over here with my girlfriend, and we saw about five people exit the middle window, the second story window," said another witness, who would not give his name. "They jumped out. There's a smaller roof right beneath it so it didn't look like they got hurt when they jumped out."

Then, about an hour later, another collapse tore down part of the exterior walls of The Cloakroom and nearby buildings. Widescreen TVs could still be seen clinging to the interior walls of the club.

That second collapse was a close call as well. A team of D.C. firefighters and rescue personnel -- including a search dog -- had been searching the building moments before the second collapse, and left through the back of the building just before the walls came down.

A wall of bricks scattered onto the sidewalk where entertainers had been sitting moments before after they had been evacuated.

• WATCH: Dramatic Video of Third Floor Collapse

According to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), construction work was being done in the basement of The Cloakroom when the first collapse happened. Workers on Bobcats were doing foundation work, and officials tell News4 buildings should be vacant when that type of work is being conducted. DCRA is now investigating whether the work being conducted Friday was properly permitted. 

An Advisory Neighborhood Committee representative for the block told News4 there had been complaints about "blight" and "disrepair" of the brick building attached to The Cloakroom, filed by residents of the city.

Last month, local blog PoPVille.com noted in a blog post that large cracks seemed to be forming in the building.

"They don't always rush out; I guess they hear a lot of complaints and they have to prioritize which ones are the most important," said Marge Maceda, the ANC representative. "But when something like this happens, it's time for them to look at all the things that people send them and make sure that they at least send somebody out and look at them and take action.

UPDATE: 400blk of K St. NW - Structural collapse. Units on scene. 1pt transported with minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/p2iHRL7vOf

— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) May 2, 2014

The News4 I-Team has learned the city issued The Cloakroom's building's owners an "alterations permit" in November 2012, which included structural work. City inspectors are investigating the scope of those renovations.

The building had previously housed Louis' Rogue Club, which closed in 2011 for renovations.

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An infant was rushed to the hospital by helicopter after he was bitten multiple times by a baby rattlesnake in Jamul, according to Cal Fire. 

The incident happened around 4:20 p.m. in the 20000 block of Manzanita Way. 

The victim's grandmother Dian Taylor said the 17-month-old boy named A.J. was playing outside her house, which sits on three acres of land.

She was inside when she heard A.J. start to cry and his mother shout, "Oh my god, he got bit by a rattlesnake."

Little A.J. was bitten three times on his stomach.

Taylor said she immediately called 911, and once emergency crews arrived, they airlifted the child to Rady Children's Hospital. 

They now know he's going to be fine. 

"He's just a little trooper," said Taylor. "He's a happy, happy baby. He's always smiling. The nurses said he's been great."

According to Dr. Arit Edwin-Enyenihi at Rady Children's Hospital, the boy is lucky to be alive. He did not have as much venom in him as doctors expected.

Hot weather tends to draw more rattlesnakes out into the open. With the area's warm winter, animal control received more than triple the number of rattler calls between January and March. 

According to Taylor, conditions are no different in Jamul. She told NBC 7 that her family has already seen many rattlesnakes in their yard and even had a cat bitten by one about 7 months ago. 

The grandmother thinks A.J. will be staying inside the house for the rest of the summer. 

"So please, keep your kids inside," said Taylor. "Don't let them do what happened to A.J. today."

On Saturday morning, A.J.'s uncle spoke with NBC 7 and said the little boy was still in the hospital but was doing fine. He said the boy may be heading home as early as Saturday evening.

If you do get bitten by a snake, Dr. Edwin-Enyenihi said you should not try to suck the venom out. You're better off using anti-venom, so call 911 as soon as possible.

A Manhattan-bound F train with 1,000 people on board derailed Friday morning in Queens, injuring at least 19 people.

Here is a look at past derailments in the 110-year-old subway system. 

May 29, 2013: A southbound 1 train derailed near 125th Street during the evening rush hour with 424 people on board. No one was hurt. Passengers were helped onto a rescue train that was then taken to the station.

Aug. 3, 2011: A 6 train derailed near 125th Street; no one was hurt.

Feb. 13, 2009: A southbound D Train derailed near the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. The train was evacuated, but no one was hurt.

May 4, 2008: A Brooklyn-bound N train derailed in midtown near the 57th Street/Seventh Avenue station, no one was hurt.

June 21, 2000: A southbound B train derailed just after leaving the DeKalb station in Brooklyn, injuring more than 80 people. Officials said the third car jumped off the track, pulling the second car along.

April 12, 2000: Nine people had minor injuries when a northbound 5 train derailed near 68th Street.

July 14, 1997: The last car of a southbound 2 train derailed near Franklin Avenue, injuring four people.

July 3, 1997: A Queens-bound A train derailed in Harlem, near the 135th Street station. Fifteen people were hurt.

Aug. 13, 1996: A Brooklyn-bound D train derailed as it left the DeKalb station, and no one was hurt.

Aug. 15, 1994: A southbound B train derailed in Brooklyn as it approached the Ninth Avenue station, injuring 11 people.

Aug. 28, 1991: Five people were killed and and more than 200 were injured when a 4 train came off the tracks at Union Square. The motorman was drunk at the time of the crash and was later convicted of manslaughter.

April 25, 1986: A motorman died after he had a heart attack and his IND train derailed in Queens. No passengers were on the train.

 A San Diego family wants an apology and significant changes at the San Diego Sheriff’s Department after a deputy allegedly pepper-sprayed, beat and arrested a family member with Down syndrome without probable cause.

According to a lawsuit filed Thursday against the County of San Diego, Deputy Jeffrey Guy and 20 other unnamed defendants, the incident took place on Dec. 18, 2012 in Vista.

Antonio “Tony” Martinez -- a 21-year-old adult with Down syndrome -- was walking from his parent’s house to the family’s bakery to help his sisters clean and close up for the night.

The complaint says Deputy Jeffrey Guy pulled alongside him and in his patrol car began yelling at Martinez.

Martinez continued to walk toward the bakery, so Guy pulled his car across the sidewalk in front of him. When Martinez didn’t stop, the complaint alleges that Guy jumped out of his car, ran into Martinez’s path and sprayed pepper spray in his face and eyes, without provocation.

As Martinez rubbed his eyes and began to scream, Guy yelled at him to get on the ground and started “beating him with his collapsible baton which contains a weighted tip,” according to the complaint.

Guy is also accused of hitting Martinez in the head and kicking him after he fell to the pavement.

The complaint says at this point, a crowd had gathered. Onlookers recognized the pedestrian “with the blood streaked face,” and yelled to the deputy that Martinez had Down syndrome, the lawsuit says.

Someone told Martinez’s younger sisters, who were inside the bakery, what was happening. They ran up just as Guy and a second deputy allegedly pushed their knees into Martinez’s back to handcuff him.

When Martinez's older sister yelled that her brother had Down syndrome and pleaded with the deputies to let him go, they ordered her to stay away, and they loaded him into the back of the patrol car.

THE "BOGUS" ARREST

Martinez was booked into Vista jail and issued a citation for interfering with a peace officer – a violation which the lawsuit calls “bogus.”

After an hour behind bars, deputies took Martinez to a nearby hospital for x-rays. Doctors examined his injuries from the alleged beating.

The complaint says Martinez suffered “facial abrasions to his nose and over his eye, and leg, arm and back pain with contusions.”

Martinez was then taken back to jail. He was questioned, a court date was set, and the 21-year-old was released to his father.

The lawsuit claims from the beginning of the incident, the deputies had no warrant for Martinez’s arrest or “other facts or information that constituted probable cause that [the] plaintiff has ever committed or was about to commit a crime, so as to provide grounds for a lawful arrest."

Additionally, the complaint says it is sheriff’s department policy to only detain someone if the officer had reasonable suspicion or probable cause that the person committed or is about to commit a crime.

If a deputy asks someone to stop without having reasonable suspicion and he or she refuses, the officer must not use any force to stop the person, according to the complaint.

THE LAWSUIT’S DEMANDS

Since 2012, the Martinez family has continually asked that Guy and the department admit their wrong-doing and apologize, according to Martinez’s attorney Jude Basile.

The family also wants Guy to volunteer to work with people with Down syndrome and for the department to provide policies and procedures on how to deal with people with mental disabilities.

The complaint alleges that the department has no such policies in place, but the sheriff’s department has confirmed to NBC 7 that all deputies are trained to deal with suspects who have mental illness or mental/psychological illness or handicaps.

Since the family members first filed claims with the county in April 2013, they have participated in the sheriff’s department’s internal affairs investigation into the incident and attended mediation with the county to try to settle the case, but the department has refused to issue an apology, according to Basile.

“The Martinez family has been forced to proceed with filing this lawsuit in order to try to bring about positive change for all people of San Diego,” reads a statement from Basile.

The lawsuit also seeks monetary compensation for Martinez’s healthcare and medical expenses, attorney fees, and deputy-training costs.

Martinez also allegedly suffered non-economic damages, including physical pain, loss of enjoyment of life, nervousness, anxiety and shock.

His two sisters are also claiming damages for severe emotional distress due to the actions of the deputies against their brother.

The monetary worth of the damages will be determined if the case goes to trial, the lawsuit says.

NBC 7 asked the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for a response to the claims and was referred to the county’s counsel.

County spokeswoman Sarah Gordon said the county does not comment on pending litigation.

Transportation Security Administration agents at Oakland International Airport found 81 pounds of marijuana inside a passenger’s checked suitcases.

TSA officials said Friday morning the luggage belonged to a 26-year-old woman traveling to Jackson, Mississippi.

The passenger was arrested by Alameda County Sheriff's Office deputies summoned to the airport by TSA agents. The deputies also seized three suitcases full of marijuana.

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Officially, the TSA says it was a random search that turned up the vacuum-packed bricks of marijuana, but Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said agents probably smelled something suspicious.

“As most people may know, it’s not hard to smell the odor of marijuana,” Kelly said. “It’s very hard to conceal that odor.”

Investigators believe the passenger intended to cash in upon arrival in Mississippi.

“We in California are known for having high quality marijuana, and lots of it,” Kelly said. “So it’s basically being exported out of our state, we believe, to Mississippi, where it’s probably being sold at a much higher value.”

Officials said the marijuana seized at the airport may be worth as much as $500,000 in Mississippi.

While the passenger in this case is under arrest, the TSA says passengers who fly with much smaller amounts of marijuana don’t typically go to jail, as long as they have a medical marijuana card.

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“Normally, if it’s an allowable amount of marijuana, when the police officers respond, they just allow the passenger to go on and travel,” TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez said.

This time police canceled the trip.

“It’s one of the larger drug busts that I recall in my 12 years with the TSA,” Melendez said.

Kelly said investigators are hoping to learn who the woman was working with and whether she has taken this kind of “business trip” before.   

San Jose State University administrators have expelled three of the four students accused of bullying their black roommate, Judge LaDoris Cordell said.

The Mercury News reports the students expelled by the university are Logan Beaschler, Colin Warren and a juvenile. The university found that they violated school rules and put the victim's safety in jeopardy.

The fourth student, Joseph Bomgardner, was suspended for one year. He also faces other sanctions and must take five counseling sessions.

All four white students are accused of putting a u-shaped bike lock around their roommate's neck and taunting him because of the color of his skin.

• SJSU Task Force Urges President to Act

The student who was bullied has filed a $5 million lawsuit against San Jose State.

The accused bullies now face hate crime and battery charges.

The university has created a web page dedicated to the hate crimes, called "Toward a More Welcoming Community."

NBC Bay Area's Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.

There may be a simple explanation why the Padres haven’t won more games this year: They haven’t played the Diamondbacks yet.

Arizona brings a 9-22 record into their three-game series at Petco Park – worst record in the league and five games behind the fourth-place Padres in the NL West.

The Padres have lost four of six games after dropping a pair to the San Francisco Giants this week. Let’s see if the Friars can distance themselves a bit more from the D’backs, who are actually a better team away from home (6-7 on the road, compared to a miserable 3-15 in Phoenix). Fortunately, the Padres have owned them in Petco Park, winning 10 of the last 13.

When they play: The series starts tonight at 7:10 p.m., followed by baseball night in San Diego on Saturday at 5:40. The two teams finish up their series Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

What’s at stake: It’s time for the Padres to start producing – especially on the offensive end. Getting three with the lowly D’backs might just be the cure. A sweep here would put San Diego at .500 for the season. They have seven more home games after this series before hitting the road, and some home cooking could help ease what ails them.

For Arizona, the fact that they haven’t hit double digits in wins after the first month of the season is not a good sign. Although you hate to write anybody off in the first week of May, well, time’s running out real quick on this team.

Who is pitching: The Padres get their top three starters for the weekend set, while the Diamondbacks send out … wait, do they even have an ace?

Andrew Cashner (2-3, 2.68 ERA) hasn’t pitched like an ace in losing his last two outings, but figures to return to his lights-out form sooner rather than later. He has been unhittable at home, allowing just two earned runs in 22 ½ innings. He battles Bronson Arroyo (1-2, 7.77 – ouch) tonight.

Ian Kennedy (2-3, 3.16) looks to build on an impressive outing last week in Washington. He gets the nod on Saturday against Brandon McCarthey (0-5, 5.54 – double ouch).

Tyson Ross (3-3, 3.68) throws the finale for San Diego, facing off against Wade Miley (2-3, 5.36).

Who to watch: Although his seven-game hitting streak was snapped in San Fran, Chris Denorfia is still swinging a hot bat, leading all regulars with a .314 average. Cameron Maybin has hit safely in three of his four games since returning from the disabled list.

The last time Rene Rivera got the start, he homered and drove in five runs – his first RBIs of the season and nearly equaling his total from last year (five). He’ll get the start tonight with Cashner on the mound.

And it’s time to take notice of what the Padres bullpen has done so far this season. Their 1.79 ERA is best in the league and an opponents batting average of .194 is tied for tops. Closer Huston Street (10 saves, 0.82 ERA) has yet to blow a save this season. Every reliever who has thrown at least 10 innings this year has an ERA under 3.

For the Diamondbacks, Paul Goldschmidt is building on a career year from last season. He has four homers and 18 RBIs – more than any Padres player – and racked up six hits in Arizona’s series with Colorado this week.

Catcher Miguel Montero has hit in five straight games and nine of 10. He also had a game-winning home run against the Rockies.

Why go: Tonight is the Padres’ first Beerfest of the season. Samples from 20 different breweries will be available at Park in the Park starting at 5 p.m. It’s also Teacher Appreciation Night. Don’t be tardy!

Every fan in attendance on Saturday will get a Padres beach blanket. Sunday, as always, is Military Appreciation Day and Kids Fest

What’s next: This is the start of a 10-game homestand. The Kansas City Royals come in for a three-game interleague series on Monday. The Miami Marlins hit town Thursday for a four-game weekend set.

Matthew Wood covers the Padres for #OnFriar. Reach him at matthew.wood@nbcuni.com and follow him on Twiitter @mcarloswood.

Hundreds of Borrego Springs residents pleaded with a judge not to make their community the new home for a man who has been designated as a former sexually violent predator.

“We have 500 children and we are in a donut hole in the middle of a state park,” Honorary Mayor Martha Deichler said. “We know this man needs a place to live, it’s not Borrego Springs.”

More than 500 signatures have been collected in protest of a plan to place Terry Stone in the small desert town east of San Diego with approximately 1500 year-round residents.

Stone is a convicted pedophile who committed lewd acts against 5 different young victims under the age of 11.

In 1994, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and in 2003, he was committed to the state hospital as a sexually violent predator.

One month ago, the Department of State Hospitals proposed letting Stone live on Frying Pan Road under a conditional release basis.

A previous proposal to place Stone in Spring Valley was denied.

The home is on a half- acre with no fence and according to residents it is in a residential community, less than two miles from schools, the Boys & Girls Club and a local park.

They claim it’s also located one house away from a daycare.

Deichler argues that the tight-knit community is not the place for a sexually violent predator and that their children's lives will be in jeopardy if he is allowed to live there.

Judge Frederick Maguire ruled he would defer judgment for three weeks to follow up on some of the concerns brought up Friday by residents.

Stone has completed 19 years of treatment as required under his conviction and is ready for conditional release.

Attorneys told residents that Stone will have 24-hour supervision initially with weekly treatment and random searches by law enforcement officers.

“He’s going to be heavily monitored and supervised. I’d be more concerned about the others,” said a spokesperson from the Department of State Hospitals hospital’s placement program.

As of November 2013, there are 76 SVPs currently committed to Coalinga State Hospital from San Diego County. 

There are currently four former SVPs residing in San Diego County.

Mikel Marshall and Douglas Badger are awaiting housing. David Chambless has been living in the community as an outpatient since 2007.

Gary Snavely and John Norman were both moved from the hospital on condition released but were hospitalized again for treatment.

Matthew Hedge, who was placed in the community twice - once in 2006 and then again in 2009 - has been released unconditionally. He is no longer considered a sexually violent predator, according to hospital officials. 

San Diego police officers launched a search Friday for two suspects that allegedly tased an armored services employee at Fashion Valley Mall and then took off with a bag of stolen money.

Authorities said the incident happened at around 3 p.m. on the ground floor of the mall in Mission Valley, near the movie theater.

According to SDPD Lt. Paul Connelly, an employee with Dunbar Armored service was walking toward his company truck, leaving the mall with a bag of money, when two unknown men approached him and tased him on the back.

The armored truck guard fell to the ground, dropping the bag of money. Connelly said the suspects quickly snatched the bag and took off running.

Police said they're not sure how much money was in the stolen bag.

Officers set up a perimeter at the south side of the mall and searched for the suspect, thoroughly checking parking structures. As of 4 p.m., the men remained at large.

The stolen bag was recovered by officers, but it was empty.

One witness said the men may have fled the mall in a charcoal gray Tundra truck.

Connelly said the victim was not seriously injured but was dazed and in shock, as the hit the ground hard after being tased. He's expected to make a full recovery.

Police described the suspects as two Hispanic men between 25 and 35 years old. One suspect was wearing a black hat and gray sweater, while the second suspect was wearing a blue shirt.

At 6 p.m., FBI officials released a photo of the suspects captured on surveillance tape moments after the taser assault. In the image, the men are seen running.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

San Diego police are searching for a group of suspects who allegedly worked together to distract a woman at a grocery store as part of a ploy to steal her wallet right from her purse.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the theft happened at a La Jolla Whole Foods store located 8825 Villa La Jolla Drive on Mar. 21 at around 4 p.m. The group effort was captured on surveillance tape, and police released images of the suspects for the first time Friday.

Here’s how the incident happened: police said the victim left her purse unattended in her shopping cart while she waited to place an order at the meat counter. The first suspect walked through the store and noticed the victim, and then alerted the second and third suspects of the victim’s location.

The second suspect – a young woman with shoulder-length hair and eyeglasses – then approached the victim and distracted her while the third suspect, a woman with dark hair in a ponytail, took the wallet from the unwitting victim’s purse.

• Caught on Tape: Men Distract 80-Year-Old Woman, Steal Wallet

After snatching the wallet, all three suspects reconvened and left Whole Foods in a dark-colored, four-door sedan and drove to a Target store located at 5680 Balboa Ave. At Target, the second suspect bought gift cards with the victim’s stolen credit cards.

Police said a fourth suspect – a bald man in a white, striped polo shirt – was spotted at Target acting as a lookout. Detectives believe he may have been the driver of the suspects’ getaway vehicle.

The identities of all four suspects remain unknown, but police are hoping to track down more information by releasing the suspects’ photos.

Detectives said the first suspect – who may be a man or woman – was also involved in a similar theft case at the same Whole Foods store in La Jolla on Dec. 29, 2013.

In that case, the victim was an 80-year-old woman and the suspect worked with an unknown man to distract the victim and steal her wallet from her purse.

Police said the elderly woman had placed her open purse containing her wallet in the basket of her shopping cart as she walked around the store, catching the attention of the thieves who then began following her around as she shopped.

In the frozen foods aisle, one suspect distracted the victim while the other nabbed her wallet. That theft was also caught on tape.

Both cases remain under investigation.

Anyone with information should call the SDPD Northern Division at (858) 552-1700 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the grand theft case.

Here's the video of the Mar. 21 theft:
 

The teen stowaway, whose 51/2-hour journey from San Jose, Calif., to Maui in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines jet captured the world's attention, has left Hawaii, officials said.

A statement from the Hawaii Department of Human Services late Friday night said that the teen is "safe and no longer in Hawaii." The department said that it has "no further involvement in the case."

• Hawaii Won't Let Dad See Teen Stowaway: Relative

Santa Clara resident Yahya Abdi scaled the fence at San Jose Airport on April 20, stowing away in a Boeing 767's wheel, surviving high altitudes, low oxygen and freezing temperatures.

Yahya's father Abdilahi Yusuf arrived in Hawaii last week to meet his son. Sources told the San Jose Mercury News that Hawaii social service agency officials have denied the father Yusuf access to his son.

According to media reports, Yahya was trying to go to Africa to see his mother, who lives in a refugee camp in Ethiopia.

• Teen Stowaway Prompts Congressman Swalwell To Look to Silicon Valley For Improved Airport Security

A brush fire sparked in a riverbed near the Plaza Bonita Mall in National City Saturday morning – the second blaze of its kind in the same week.

Fire officials said the fire was reported by multiple parties just after 11:30 a.m. in the 3000-block of Plaza Bonita Road. Crews rushed to the scene.

The fire burned approximately one acre and was knocked down by 12:15 p.m.

The area experienced fire activity just a few days ago.

On Wednesday, a two-alarm fire sparked in the riverbed near a homeless encampment.

In that fire, National City Police made a grisly discovery: the charred body of a victim found in some brush about 100 yards west of a command post set up by firefighters battling the blaze. The body was so badly burned that police couldn’t immediately identify whether the victim was male or female. Investigators also weren’t sure if the victim died after getting caught in the fire, or if the person died under suspicious circumstances.

Due to the previous recent fire, officials said Saturday's blaze had the potential to spread quickly. Luckily, it was contained within about 45 minutes.
 

 One man is dead after he was hit by a car Friday night in Vista, San Diego County Sheriff’s officials said.

Around 10:20 p.m., a Ford sedan was driving southbound on N. Santa Fe Avenue as a 68-year-old man crossed the road from the east side near Angeles Vista Drive.

The driver saw the pedestrian step out on to the street and tried to veer around him, but the motion was not fast enough.

The vehicle collided with the man, who died at the scene. The driver inside the Ford was not injured.

The cause of the crash and investigation is on-going, but sheriff’s officials said alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

 Three City of San Diego employees have been arrested for stealing gas from a city fuel station, according to a memo sent to the San Diego City Council.

Earlier this year, the San Diego Police Department opened an investigation into the employees after a staff member found unusually high fuel uses.

As the probe progressed, investigators found out three unnamed employees were getting gas through a malfunctioning fuel dispenser that is normally controlled by an automated system at one of the city’s stations, according to the memo from the city’s Assistant Chief Operation Officer Stacey LoMedico.

All three suspects are no longer working, pending an internal investigation.

City staff had a vendor check all the city gas dispensers to make sure no other systems were broken, and LoMedico said the review did not turn up any other issues.

“While this is an unfortunate, illegal and unethical incident, the city employs thousands of dedicated individuals and the actions of these three should not be a reflection on the rest of the city staff,” LoMedico’s memo reads.

Moving forward, staff will review all fueling procedures to see if there are weaknesses in the internal controls. A report is expected next month to detail the review’s findings.

Additionally, a memo will be sent to all city employees next week regarding ethical behavior.

 Authorities have identified an LAPD officer who was killed Saturday morning after the police car he and his partner were in was struck by an SUV as they were pursuing another vehicle, police said.

The officer who was killed was a 5-year veteran of the force and is survived by his wife.

“It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I announce the death of Roberto Sanchez, killed in the line of duty this morning," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said during a news conference Saturday morning.

The police car was hit by a Chevrolet Tahoe near Anaheim Street and President Avenue in Harbor City around 3:45 a.m.

The officers were involved in a pursuit with a white Camaro when it made a u-turn on Anaheim.

"Our understanding is our officers were following the vehicle at a high rate of speed on Anaheim," LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said. "As they negotiated a u-turn, their vehicle was hit by a Chevy Tahoe."

Two officers were trapped inside the police car and had to be extricated, according to LAPD.

"We received a cellular phone call from one of the officers involved in the collision because he wasnt able to get to his police radio to put out a help call, that's how violent the collision was," Lt. John Pasquariello said.

The driving officer was taken to the hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries. The passenger officer has serious injuries but is in stable condition.

Those inside the SUV left their vehicle and fled the scene. The 26-year-old driver of the SUV was apprehended a short time later.

"There is a possibility of drugs or alcohol involved, but we haven't been able to determine that for sure," Pasquariello said.

Police were still searching for the driver of the Camaro that was initially pursued.

The fatal crash marks the third time this year that an LAPD officer has been killed in a traffic collision. Officers Nicholas Lee died in March and motorcycle officer Chris Cortijo was killed in a wreck in April.

"This third loss of an officer in the line of duty in just two months is a stark and tragic reminder of the dangers our first responders face every day," Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. "It is with a heavy heart that I am again ordering the city's flags to half staff."

In an unrelated incident, Beck announced that another LAPD officer died of a heart condition overninght.