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Children's Pool Open After Pupping Season

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One popular La Jolla area is now reopen to the public.

The Children's Pool in La Jolla closed in December for harbor seal pupping season. The pool reopened to the public on Saturday, May 16.

The sandy base of the bluffs, rocks, breakwater and lower staircase were closed to the public since mid-December. The closure was meant to provide special protection for the mother seals during pupping season, when the animals are more vulnerable, and for the safety of the public.

The closure in December came after the California Coastal Commission approved the City of San Diego's request for closure in August. The city is supposed to monitor the area carefully while it's closed, as well as keep a record of the number of seals, tide and weather conditions and instances of seal harassment by beachgoers. Records of warnings and citations issued during the off season is also required.

The seawall remained open throughout, as well as the walkway atop the bluff, east of the pool, but construction of the La Jolla Lifeguard Station may cause intermittent disruptions in accessibility.

The news comes as a slew of sea lion rescues in the first part of 2015. SeaWorld San Diego has rescued more than 400 sea lions so far this year. That number is more than twice the number of marine mammal rescues the park averages in a typical year, the park said.

SeaWorld also announced it's in the process of constructing two temporary pool for the rescued sea lions.

Several pups rescued this year have been found in poor condition, with some weighing around 20 pounds. Typically, sea lion pups weigh 50 to 60 pounds.


Inmate Escapes from East Mesa Re-entry Facility

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An inmate has escaped from the East Mesa Re-entry facility, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department said. 

The facility, east of Otay Mesa and State Route 124 near the Otay County Open Space Preserve, said inmate Omar Ramirez Sandoval escaped around 1 p.m. Saturday.

Sandoval was an inmate worker at the facility and was last seen around 7 a.m. Saturday wearing a tan and white worker uniform. He is 5 feet 8 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes with a crew cut hairstyle and a clean shave.

Sandoval was sentenced to nine years for possession for sales and transportation of narcotics. He was pending deportation proceedings. 

Anyone with information about this case can call the Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (858)565-5200. You can remain anonymous and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Bull Charges Onto SoCal Freeway

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An escaped bull charged onto a Southern California freeway Saturday, stalling afternoon traffic and evading capture for more than an hour before being lassoed by its owner, police say.

The California Highway Patrol began receiving calls about 2 p.m. of a bull running loose on the 15 Freeway near Victorville, a desert city about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Responding officers tracked the bull to Dale Evans Parkway. The animal wandered another four miles before being corralled by its owner on horseback at Wild Wash Road just after 3 p.m.

"In that area, seeing this kind of thing is pretty rare," said CHP Sgt. Rudy Rodriguez. "Officers were concerned about traffic, because it [the bull] could do damage to cars and injure people, but also for the bull and its safety."

It was unclear how the bull escaped its enclosure.



Photo Credit: Shanna Sloan/KNBC

Giant Shark Appears Off Mass. Coast

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A massive shark appeared off the Massachusetts coastline Friday — and the Massachusetts State Police caught it on video.

The gentle giant was a basking shark, which is normally not harmful to humans and only eats tiny fish, according to State Police.

The State Police Air Wing launched from the Plymouth Air Base at the request of the Marine Fisheries scientist after the shark sighting was reported.



Photo Credit: Massachusetts State Police
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Deadly Shooting at La Mesa Home

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Police were called to a La Mesa neighborhood Saturday morning to investigate the shooting of a man inside a home across the street from an elementary school.

Squad cars descended on a house at the corner of the 8200 block of El Paso Street near Dalhart Avenue, blocking off streets. The home being investigated by police is directly across the street from Murray Manor Elementary School.

Residents in neighboring homes told NBC 7 police officers began knocking on doors around 6:15 a.m. to inform residents that there had been a deadly shooting in the neighborhood.

One neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said a man has been renting the home under investigation for about a year. She said she began noticing odd activity at the house a few weeks ago
but up to then, there had been no problems at the residence.

As of 3:25 p.m., police had served a search warrant and were still investigating. The streets remained blocked off to traffic.

La Mesa Police Sgt. Higgins said one man was discovered inside the home with a gunshot wound to the head. He said police were called to the house around 5:30 a.m. after shots were fired.

When officers arrived, they discovered a man inside a bedroom who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the La Mesa Police Department confirmed.

No further details were released. Police said they do not have a suspect description at this time.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the La Mesa Police Department at (619) 667-1400.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Diana Guevara

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Street

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A small plane landed on a Santee Street and hit a car, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said. 

The incident happened around 10:26 a.m. Saturday. The pilot was heading east, trying to land at Montgomery Field in Kearney Mesa, when he experienced engine failure. 

He landed the plane on a residential street not even a quarter of a mile from another nearby airport, GIllespie Field, swerving to avoid power lines on his way down. 

An off-duty deputy saw the 25-30 foot Piper Cherokee model 140 plane land on the street and hit a Ford F150 on Prospect Avenue and Cuyamaca Street, near Gillespie Field. He called in the incident.

The pilot, who identified himself as Rich, told U-T San Diego the mechanical problem forced him to divert his plane from the flight plan and head toward Gillespie Field in El Cajon. He was about a quarter of a mile away when he ended up on a residential street. 

“To be honest, it was instinct,” he told the U-T. “I’m going to call my instructor and tell him ‘thank you’ because he taught me well.”

The pilot and his passenger are okay. The pilot told NBC 7 that he has flying for five years. 

There were no injuries and minor damage to a truck the plane clipped on its way down, deputies said. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7's Erica Simpson
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Alpine Building Destroyed Months After 123-Ton Boulder

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Months after a 123-ton boulder smashed into the side of an Alpine business complex, seriously damaging the building and rupturing a gas line, the building is being destroyed. 

Owner Scott Thomas, who runs Alpine Equipment and Party Rentals on Alpine Boulevard with his wife Kelli, got behind the controls and began the demolition. The boulder was too heavy to remove at the time. 

Thomas said once the building is down, they can assess how much damage there is to the rest of the structure and then begin to rebuild. 

In February, a boulder, estimated to weigh in at 247,000 pounds rolled down the hillside and crashed into the two-story building.

“It looks like it’s melting,” Kelli Thomas said of the building at the time. 

The boulder stands 11 feet wide and is taller than a single story home, repair crews say.

When the Thomases built the business 15 years ago, they never considered the potential of a boulder rolling down the hill behind them.

“It was always, ‘They might come down,’” Scott said of a rockslide or mudslide. “Slow slide, or mud trickling, or something like that — but that’s more like a ‘boom’ than a slip.”

A crane operator told the owners that he can’t get the rock out of there until it’s pared down to 8.5 feet wide and 8.5 feet tall.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Airport Closed After Plane Comes in With Electrical Issues

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Palomar Airport will be closed until further notice as firefighters respond to a plane down after electrical issues. 

The Carlsbad Fire Department said they received a call around 3:44 p.m. for a plane coming in with no landing gear visible. A spokesperson for Palomar Airport said the plane had electrical issues, but could not comment further. 

Officials said no one was transported from the scene for injuries.

There was no more information immediately available. 

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7's Omari Fleming

Mid City Police Station Vandalized

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Windows were shattered and police officers’ vehicles were vandalized early Saturday morning at the San Diego Police Department’s Mid City Police Station, officials said.

According to police, an unknown vandal or vandals threw a rock through the front window of the station’s lobby and the community center, leaving shattered glass everywhere.

The personal vehicles of four police officers who were at work were also targeted and vandalized in the same manner, officials said.

According to the SDPD, this is the second time in just one week that this police station has been vandalized. Last week, an unknown person shot a pellet gun into one of the windows of the station that faces Fairmount Avenue.

Officials held a media briefing Saturday asking the public to be on the lookout for the vandalism suspect, described as a Caucasian man in his mid-30s wearing a grey, long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans. He has shoulder-length, dark brown hair, police said.

“Let all of us work together to make sure this does not happen again," SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said at the briefing.

“Some of these officers have been here at this division for almost 20 years, serving this community faithfully and loyally. For this to happen, I’m a little frustrated as Commanding Officer and I know that they are as well,” said Mid City Commanding Officer Chris McGrath.

The Mid City Police Station is located at 4310 Landis St., in the heart of City Heights.

“We take this very seriously and consider it a direct threat to the safety and security of this community. Whoever is bold enough to vandalize the symbolic facility that houses the men and women committed to protecting and serving, imagine what else they are capable of,” the SDPD said. “We are asking the community to come together once again to help us find whoever is responsible for this and stop the escalation of violence.”

"We need to get these individuals into custody as quickly as possible," Chief Zimmerman added.

City Heights resident Sedrick Ntwali said he was shocked to learn of the damage done to the police station.

"I couldn’t accept this. I thought, ‘Really? The police department?’ I couldn’t believe someone was doing this to the police department,” he told NBC 7. “Looking at the community, if something like this can happen to the police department, then it can happen to my community, it can happen to my neighbors. It a security concern.”

Ntwali said the incident has left him feeling on edge and he's worried about vandals roaming lose around the area.

“If this act of vandalism happens to the police department then it can be worse to the community. Seeing the police department vandalized, it doesn’t really feel safe [in my community] at this point. It’s really bad,” he lamented.



Photo Credit: Liberty Zabala

"Person of Interest" in DC Slayings

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D.C. police are seeing a "person of interest" captured on surveillance video in the slaying of a family and their housekeeper in Woodley Park neighborhood on Thursday.

The person, dressed in dark clothing, can be seen on video released by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. Police also are seeing a car in connection with the murder: a 2008 blue Porsche 911 with D.C. license plates DK 2418. 

Earlier this week, police identified two of the people found dead in a burning home in the expensive Woodley Park neighborhood Thursday as Savvas Savopoulos, 46, and his wife, Amy Savopoulos, 47.

Police believe the other bodies are the couple's son, Philip, 10, and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57.

The events that led to their deaths may have begun Wednesday, police said.

Firefighters arrived at the large home in the 3200 block of Woodland Drive NW midday Thursday to find smoke and fire coming out of the roof.

According to investigators, one of the victims was bleeding from the head and had a heavy smell of gasoline when he or she was transported to Georgetown University Hospital. There's also evidence that points to arson.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the fire is being investigated as "suspicious," and the deaths are being investigated as a homicide arson. ATF agents, evidence collectors and police investigators are working both inside and outside of the house.

Investigators are also looking for information about the 2008 blue Porsche 911. That car was seen near the house about 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Police found the car — torched and unoccupied — in the parking lot of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Lanham, Maryland, about 5:15 p.m. Thursday.

They want to know more about who was driving it earlier that day. Anyone with information should call police at 202-727-9099.

Police said they will check surveillance video from cameras in the neighborhood. At least two cameras are visible outside the Savopoulos' home.

Neighbors who've been in the home said the family had an extensive and valuable art collection, which was on display a couple of years ago during the Christmas house tour put on by St. Albans school, where Phillip was a student.

There is no sign of forced entry into the home, police said. The fire took about 30 minutes to extinguish.


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Service at Site of Train Wreck

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A "service of reflection" was held Sunday to honor the victims of Tuesday’s deadly Amtrak train derailment.

The event began at 5 p.m. ET at Frankford Avenue and Wheatsheaf Lane, the same location where a New York-bound Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia Tuesday night, killing eight people and injuring over 200.

Mayor Michael Nutter, Governor Tom Wolf, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Amtrak President & CEO Joseph Boardman, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (DE), Congressman Bob Brady (PA) and Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes, the CEO of American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, also attended.

A midshipman from the U.S. Naval Academy, an Associated Press staffer, a Wells Fargo senior vice president, the CEO of a tech company, a dean at Medgar Evers College, a Maryland father of two, an employee at Cushman & Wakefield and an Italian national were the eight people killed in the derailment. You can read more about the victims HERE.

During the ceremony, attendees honored the victims by ringing bells while saying their names and releasing doves. Foxx had a message for the families of the victims.

"I can't imagine the grief and shock that Tuesday brought to your doorsteps," he said. "And I know there's nothing any of us can say to bring you comfort. But we will nevertheless spend the rest of our careers attempting to honor the memory of your loved ones. We will honor them by making sure this never happens again."

The first responders who came to the scene after the accident were also honored during Sunday's ceremony.

Boy, 16, Dies in Go-Kart Crash

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A 16-year-old boy was killed in a rollover crash in his homemade go-kart in Montville, Connecticut, on Sunday afternoon.

Christopher "C.J."  Smith, 16, of Norwich, was driving his go-kart near 17 Caroline Road when he lost control and flipped over several times, police said. 

State police, Montville EMS crews and Mohegan Tribal paramedics all responded, but Smith's injuries were too severe and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It's the second week in a row that Norwich residents are dealing with the accidental death of a local teen.

Norwich Free Academy student and Norwich resident Karl Joseph, 17, died following a kayaking accident on the Shetucket River nd his body was found last week.

Smith often visted his grandparents in Montville and that's where he was when the tragedy struck. Family members were shocked by the accident.

"There was so many people here that it was hard to believe what was going on," said C.J.'s grandmother Linda Smith, who lives on Caroline Road near where the accident occured.

Linda says C.J. was the oldest of four brothers, an active Boy Scout, and a sophomore at Grasso Tech in Groton studying electronics and electricity. He also loved to hunt.

"He had a heart of gold," she said. "He would do anything for anybody. He was a good, good child."

The family says things will never be the same without him.

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral services. State police are investigating the crash.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Man Kills Wife, Jumps Out Window

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Authorities are investigating after they say a man fatally stabbed his wife before jumping out of a ninth-story window in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

According to officials, 45-year-old Christine Giordano made it down to the lobby of the Colonial Point apartment building on Audubon Road. When responders arrived, she was found alive with multiple stab wounds.

She later died from her injuries.

Her husband, Daniel Burns, died after jumping from a window on the ninth floor of the 12-story building.

"I looked out my window, cause I face the other side of the building, and I saw the body. It was under a white tarp," said tenant Jack Riggio. "I saw the blood stain in the lobby."

Investigators say Burns had been living in the building with a relative. According to authorities, he and Giordano were in the process of separating, but that they had come together to try and reconcile.

Several residents told necn they have been worried about security at the building, though that may not have prevented this tragedy.

"We used to have a security guard on here every day. Then they dropped it down to weekends, and then the weekends were nonexistent," said tenant Norma Powell. "So if anything happens on the weekend, there's no way you can get hold of anybody to help you."

"This is certainly an act of domestic violence," said Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith. "As proactive as we try to be to prevent and educate about domestic violence, these things do happen. Unfortunately, they do happen."



Photo Credit: necn

USNS Mercy's 4 Month Deployment

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Members of the U.S. Navy are getting ready to set sail. It is part of the USNS Mercy's four-month deployment to support the Navy's Pacific partnership. NBC 7's Diana Guevara reports live.

Photo Credit: NBC 7

Toddler Injured by Falling Debris

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A 2-year-old child was seriously injured on Manhattan's Upper West Side after being struck by falling debris Sunday, authorities said.

According to police, the child was being pushed in a stroller by their grandmother on West End Avenue near 74th Street around 11 a.m. when they were both stuck by pieces of brick that fell from a building.

The child was initially unresponsive, but a nurse who happened to be in the area was able to perform CPR and the child regained consciousness, authorities said.

EMS responded and transported the child and the grandmother to Cornell Hospital. The child was listed in serious but stable condition as of Sunday afternoon, police said. The grandmother was treated for minor injuries.

It was unclear exactly what caused the debris to fall. A city Department of Buildings emergency crew was sent to the site to investigate.


Family Seeks Amtrak Victim's Body

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Antonio Piras came to America this weekend to overcome heartbreaking obstacles that have delayed the burial of his brother, a victim of last week's deadly Amtrak derailment.

Piras is battling a bureaucratic nightmare that has stopped his family from bringing the body of Giuseppe Piras to his homeland of Italy, the family told NBC 4 New York on Sunday.

Giuseppe Piras was traveling to New York City last week to sell wine and olive oil on behalf of a cooperative in his native Sardinia. He was aboard Amtrak train 188 when it derailed in Philadelphia and his was one of the last of the eight bodies pulled from the wreckage.

An avid cyclist, Piras, 40, was identified after his worried family contacted the Italian consulate in Philadelphia and sent them his picture.

The family was initially told that Piras was alive and on a shuttle bus headed for New York. They were then told that an Amtrak representative made a mistake.

Once it was established that Piras was killed, his family asked that his body be kept in Philadelphia so that a family member from Italy could claim it. But days later, it was moved to a New Jersey funeral home without their consent.

The matter is further complicated in that the death certificate and other paperwork has to be shuttled between two states. The family has been told they may not be able to send Piras home until Friday.

Amtrak officials declined to comment on the situation.

Amtrak Service Resumes After Crash

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At 6:03 a.m. Monday, 10 minutes behind schedule, Amtrak Regional 110 pulled out of Philadelphia's 30th Street Station bound north for New York City.

It is the first train to traverse these tracks since last Tuesday's deadly derailment in Port Richmond killed eight people and injured more than 200 — tracing the path of its ill-fated sibling.

But it did so on newly-laid track outfitted with safety features that federal investigators said could have prevented the high-speed derailment from happening. The northbound tracks around Frankford Junction, the spot where Amtrak Regional 188 leapt off the rails, now employs Automatic Train Control or ATC. This feature will can slow the train to remotely enforce speed limits.

The 50 mph speed limit has also been lowered to 45 mph, a requirement the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) put forth before service could resume.

"I think the message to passengers is that Amtrak is safe to ride," said spokesman Craig Schulz. "We're obviously very pleased to be able to provide service again this morning and we have made the changes the FRA has directed us to make and we'll operate a safe railroad like we have all along."

Train service was suspended for nearly a week between New York and Philadelphia following the crash.

ATC was operating on the southbound lines at the curve, but not on the northbound tracks, Amtrak officials said. The train was traveling at more than 100 mph when it jumped off the tracks, the force sending the passenger cars rolling onto their sides and at least one through steel power poles.

Amtrak Regional 110 took the curve Monday morning at a cautious speed out of an abundance of caution as it turned northbound toward Northeast Philadelphia, an Amtrak spokesperson said. The slow manuvering added time to the normal hour and a half commute.

"I believe Amtrak wouldn't put us back on this route unless they thought it was safe," said regular passenger Mary Schaheen before boarding the northbound train. "I'm confident."

About 30 minutes before the train departed Philadelphia, another train left New York's Penn Station bound for Philadelphia.

SEPTA began running regional rail trains toward Trenton, New Jersey, once again as well. But that outbound service will be limited — trains will not be stopping in North Philadelphia, Bridesburg or Tacony — and delays could reach upward of 60 minutes.

Restoration work around Frankford Junction is continuing as power lines and other track upgrads are installed.

As the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak's busiest line, got back on track Monday morning, the investigation into what led to the derailment continues.

The FBI is analyzing whether a grapefruit-sized projectile hit the windshield shortly before the crash. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board want to know whether the impact disoriented engineer Brandon Bostian in the crucial moments when the train should have been slowing down at the curve.

The 32-year-old has no recollection of the incident. A conductor told investigators, however, that she believes Bostian radioed an engineer of a nearby SEPTA regional rail train, which had been hit by an object, letting him know Amtrak 188 was struck.

In an interview with investgators this weekend, the SEPTA engineer said he didn't talk to Bostian. Still, NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said his team wants to track down the lead and find out what effect, if any, the object played into the crash.

Twenty people remain hospitalized, five in critical condition, following the derailment. All are expected to recover from their injuries.



Photo Credit: AP

Social Media Timeline: Officer Wounded in Shooting

Marine Killed in Helicopter Crash Was From Riverside County

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Authorities say one of the six U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that crashed during a relief mission in earthquake-hit Nepal was identified as a 30-year-old from Riverside County.

A joint military task force said Sunday that Sgt. Eric M. Seaman was one of six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers who died when their helicopter crashed on May 12.

The wreckage of the UH-1 ``Huey'' was found Friday following days of intense searching in the mountains northeast of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.

Seaman enlisted in the Marines in 2009. Based at Camp Pendleton, he had received numerous medals for his service.

The Press-Enterprise reports that small American flags were posted in the front yard of Seaman's home in Murrieta on Sunday. A sign near the door asked for privacy for the family.

As news broke early Friday that the Camp Pendleton-based helicopter missing in Nepal had been found, families across the U.S. began sharing stories of their loved ones who they say were aboard the aircraft.



Photo Credit: AP

Officer Wounded in Shooting, Suspect Dead

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A San Diego police officer shot in the torso following a high speed pursuit Sunday morning is expected to survive, according to the San Diego Police Department.

The officer, a five-year veteran of the force, is "talking, smiling, and in very good spirits" in the hospital, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said at a press conference. She said the officer sustained at least one gunshot wound. 

"She appreciates everybody's concern about her well being," Zimmerman added. 

The incident started as a high speed pursuit, when a grey late model Jeep heading southbound on State Route 163 did not yield to lights and sirens while driving approximately 90 miles per hour, Lt. Mike Hastings said. 

Officers lost sight of the suspect's car on State Route 163 at the Mesa College Exit. When additional officers assisted, officials found the suspect's car near the 7700 block of Mesa College Drive. 

The license plate linked the car to one that had been used in several shootings throughout the City of San Diego over the last several weeks, Hastings said. 

The incident turned into a foot pursuit when officers saw a man walking a short distance from where they found the car and officers approached him. The man being chased showed a gun and began firing at officers near Highway 163 at Health Center Drive, Hastings said. 

The officer, who hasn't been identified, was shot in her upper body. Initial reports said the officer was shot in the neck. Officers at the scene rendered medical aid to her, Hastings said, and took her body to a nearby hospital. She is in stable condition. 

Two other SDPD officers "fired several rounds" at the suspect, Hastings said, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name but say he may be related to a series of shootings at buildings. His identity is known, however, Hastings said. 

Hastings said there may be police body camera video of the incident, though it was unclear whether that video would come from the officer that was wounded or another officer at the scene. The wounded officer was field training officer and had a trainee with her at the time of the incident. 

The name of the officer and suspect will be released when family have been notified. 

The surrounding area will be closed for at least six hours as officials investigate.

Neighbors in the area reported hearing gunshots outside their houses and could see the officer on the ground.

Dozens of emergency responders were on scene, including fire, paramedic and police officials, in addition to a helicopter circling overhead. SWAT is there as a preliminary and precautionary measure, police said.

The north entrance of Sharp Memorial Hospital is currently closed due to police activity near Health Center Drive. The Frost Street entrance remains open. Both Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Mary Birch Hospital were on lockdown as a precaution in the morning. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Check back for more on this breaking news story. 

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