By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–San Diego police released the identity of a suspect fatally shot in an officer-involved shooting on a trolley last week in the South Bay.
The suspect has been identified as 19-year-old Mauricio Sanchez Ramos. He previously lived in Ramona, but his most recent residence is unknown, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The officer involved in the shooting has been identified as Ruben Berton. He was hired by the San Diego Police Department in 2017. He is currently assigned as a patrol officer from the Southern Division.
On June 4, the San Diego Police Department received a radio call of a disturbance with a weapon on the trolley located at the Iris Avenue Trolley Station.
According to police, a witness saw a man with a possible firearm on the trolley traveling south towards the San Ysidro Trolley Station.
Two officers were dispatched to the location at around 8:56 p.m. As the trolley arrived at the San Ysidro Trolley Station, passengers began evacuating the trolley car. When officers arrived at the scene, they gave the suspect several verbal commands to drop the firearm he was holding in his hand; however, the suspect ignored their commands. The suspect began to advance toward the officers and pointed a weapon at them. This prompted one of the officers to fire his department rifle at the suspect, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics were called to the station, and the officers immediately rendered first aid to the suspect, but he died of his injuries, the San Diego Police Department said in a news release.
The firearm the suspect used was a Glock replica .177 caliber CO2 BB gun, which shoots metal pellets.
Per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the officer-involved shooting investigation.
When the investigation into the shooting is completed, the report will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions. The San Diego Police Department will conduct an administrative investigation into the officer’s discharge of his firearm.
The Commission on Police Practices is conducting a review of the incident and will provide any appropriate recommendations. The Department of Justice was notified of the incident and declined to respond. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office are monitoring the investigation.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
