San Diego police say a hammer-wielding suspect tried to torch an adult store and set a police dog on fire before officers shot him to stop the attack.
Story Highlights
- Police report the suspect struck cars with a hammer and threatened people before entering the store.
- Officers say the suspect hurled flammable liquid and used a torch, burning a police dog and igniting the business.
- San Diego police shot the suspect during the confrontation; multiple people were injured.
- Use of police dogs is legally considered a use of force and judged by necessity and threat.
Police Describe Violent Rampage Before Store Confrontation
San Diego Police said the incident began with 911 calls about a man swinging a hammer at cars and threatening people near El Cajon Boulevard and Oregon Street on Wednesday morning. Officers followed the suspect as he went into the North Park Adult Emporium. Officials said his actions had already posed a danger to the public before he entered the store, which raised the risk level for everyone nearby.
Officers reported that the man carried flammable liquid and a torch into the business. Police said he tried to ignite the store and attacked officers and a police dog with fire. During efforts to detain him, the suspect burned the police dog, and flames spread inside the business. The situation shifted from a property crime to an immediate threat to life and public safety, according to the department’s account of the sequence.
Officer Shooting Ends Immediate Threat, Leaves Several Injured
San Diego officers fired on the suspect inside the store after the attack with fire. Police said the shooting stopped the assault and allowed them to secure the scene and get medical help to the injured. Local outlets reported that at least three people and a police dog were hurt during the clash, highlighting how fast a call can turn hazardous when fire and improvised weapons are used in close spaces.
Authorities said the police dog suffered burns from the suspect’s use of fire. The business also sustained fire damage. Emergency crews treated victims at the scene and transported the injured for care. Police have not released full body camera footage or a detailed timeline yet. The department’s initial statements and local reporting form the current public record of what happened inside the store.
Why Canine Deployment and Deadly Force Standards Matter Here
Police canine deployment is legally a use of force. Policies instruct handlers to weigh the severity of the crime, the threat posed, and resistance or flight before sending in a dog. Courts and training standards treat dogs as a less-lethal option, but still a serious use of force that can raise tension. Reviews focus on whether the tactic was necessary and proportional to the threat at that moment.
Three people and a police K-9 were injured during an officer-involved shooting in North Park Wednesday morning, according to San Diego police.
Reporter Dani Miskell was on scene and captured the tense moments. pic.twitter.com/0WhYgZ6Uvr
— ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) September 16, 2026
In this case, police describe a suspect who had threatened people, then used fire against officers, a police dog, and a business. That reported escalation fits the kind of immediate threat that often drives rapid shifts up the force scale. The core facts reported so far do not appear in dispute in local coverage: the hammer threats, the attempted arson, the police dog burned, and the officer gunfire to stop the attack.
Sources:
nypost.com, sandiegouniontribune.com, sdsheriff.gov, npcc.police.uk
