San Diego Police Officer Shoots Suspect Reaching For The Gun

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San Diego, California — San Diego, California — On August 15, 2023, at 1:23 a.m., San Diego Police dispatch received a 911 call from a motorist who said he had been followed and shot at by the occupants of a white Tesla. The victim was uninjured. The two men in the white Tesla fled the scene. A camera captured the moment that two men in a white Tesla fired at the victim on ben street. The Tesla came to a stop in front of the victim's car. As the victim drove around the Tesla, the driver and passenger fired shots at the victim. One occupant of the white Tesla was 33-year-old Benjamin Pickens.

Pickens was located later that same morning on the campus of Mesa College, where an officer-involved shooting occurred. During the incident, Pickens shot and killed a San Diego Police K9. Pickens later died at the Hospital. The second occupant of the white Tesla, who also fired shots at the victim on Ben street, was not located that morning. Investigators later identified the second occupant of the white Tesla as 31-year-old Xavier Benjamine Lacosta. Investigators obtained a warrant to arrest Lacosta and search his home. On august 15, at 6:45 p.m., San Diego Police detectives were serving a warrant at an apartment complex in the 6100 block of El Cajon Boulevard. A third-floor apartment in the building was identified as Lacosta's residence.

SDPD detectives set up a perimeter on the apartment building. Detectives made phone calls inside to the apartment, did call-outs directly outside of the apartment, and gave verbal commands and warnings for Lacosta to exit the apartment with his hands empty. Lacosta exited the apartment holding a firearm. Officers gave commands for him to drop the gun, and he complied by tossing the firearm at his feet. Officers commanded Lacosta to put his hands above his head. Suddenly, Lacosta lunged for the firearm and an officer-involved shooting occurred. Officers provided medical aid until the arrival of paramedics. Lacosta was pronounced deceased at the scene. Lacosta's firearm was recovered. It was determined to be a ghost gun. It was loaded with a round in the chamber.