SDPD names suspects, detective in National City deputy-involved shooting

Watch the report by FOX 5/KUSI’s Jaime Chambers about the shooting above.

NATIONAL CITY (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego Police Department has released the names of the suspects and detective involved in last Friday’s deputy-involved shooting in National City.

On Friday around 1:22 p.m., uniformed San Diego Sheriff’s deputies stopped a white Acura with three occupants, two men and a woman, according to SDPD Wednesday. The car was parked in the 200 block of Mile of Cars Way in National City.

Police said the man in the front passenger seat left the vehicle and fled on foot, leading the deputies to ask for assistance from the National City Police Department. The other man and woman were detained while law enforcement officers searched for the man who fled, SDPD said.

The male driver of the Acura was identified as 29-year-old Dominic Dimaio and the female occupant was identified as 36-year-old Whitney Cowan, authorities said. They were both arrested and booked into county jail for narcotics-related charges and being felons in possession of body armor, according to SDPD.

Meanwhile, an individual in the area told a detective that he had seen the missing suspect run through a nearby Dodge dealership and get into a parked tow truck in the lot, police said.

The detective was identified as Douglas Akers, who has been with the San Diego Sheriff’s Office for about 35 years. He is currently assigned to the East County Regional Gang Task Force, police stated in the release.

Authorities said as Akers gave the man commands, the man fire at least one round in his direction which shattered the passenger window of the tow truck. Akers was injured by the shards of broken glass, according to the release.

Akers returned fire and the man died at the scene, according to SDPD. The suspect has been identified as Gene Stewart, 46, of Lakeside.

The SDPD Homicide Unit was called to the scene to investigate the deputy-involved shooting, following the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding .

Detectives are still gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to understand what led up to the shooting, police said. When the Homicide Unit finishes investigating, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether Akers bears any criminal liability for his actions, the release stated.

SDSO will investigate the detective’s discharge of his firearm, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office will also monitor the investigation, according to the release.

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