Two days after two police officers were shot and seriously wounded by a resident of an apartment and condo complex in the Rolando Village neighborhood, police have released the name of the dead suspect and the two wounded officers.
Officer Francisco Roman, who has been with the department for three years, and officer Dan Bihum, an 18-year veteran were both seriously wounded. Police said Bihum was released from the hospital Monday, Roman remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The dead suspect had a history of violent incidents with at least one episode that led to violence against neighbors. He was identified as Joe Darwish, who was 28 years old. It’s unclear if he took his own life or was shot by police.
The San Diego Union Tribune reported that Darwish had repeatedly threatened a neighbor and had spent time at a mental hospital after being charged with assault and other crimes.
At a news conference Sunday morning that was broadcast on KOGO, the police chief described what happened after police officers and firefighters responded to reports of a violent resident and a possible fire shortly after 10 Saturday night at the Tuscany Place Apartments on Rolando Court near El Cajon Boulevard in an area about a mile east of the San Diego State campus.
The complex was evacuated after the shooting began and as a swat team closed in on the suspect and eventually went into the apartment with K-9 and a robot and found the gunman dead. Some residents were not able to return to their homes till early Monday.
(Photo credit 10News)