PR:San Diego-On Sunday, December 10, 2017, at approximately 6:07 a.m., the San Diego
Police Department Communication Center received a 911 call reporting that a male was
attempting to gain entry into a residence on the 1300 block of Trieste Drive. The caller
stated that a male had banged on their front door and windows demanding a knife so he
could kill himself.
The first officers to arrive found a 24-year old white male in the front yard of a residence
on the 1200 block of Trieste Drive. This residence is directly next to the house where the
radio call originated from and its front yard was elevated above the street. The suspect
began throwing bricks at the officers who were parked on the street below. The suspect
ran towards the residence and the officers lost sight of him. Officers then heard breaking
glass and believed the suspect was breaking into the residence. Officers followed the
sound of the breaking glass and found a glass door to the residence had been shattered.
Believing the suspect had broken into the home and that the residents were in danger,
officers entered the home and immediately located the suspect in the kitchen. The
suspect had retrieved a fixed blade knife from the kitchen and pointed the knife at his
throat. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife but the suspect refused.
Instead, the suspect pointed the knife at officers and quickly walked toward them.
Fearing for their lives, one officer fire several rounds from his AR-15 Rifle and another
officer fired one round from his bean bag shot-gun. The suspect was struck at least one
time by an AR-15 round and collapsed to the floor. At this time, it is unknown if the bean
bag round struck the suspect.
Officers began providing first aid to the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two adults were asleep in the residence at the time of the shooting. Neither were
injured. The suspect did not live at the address and did not have permission to enter.
The San Diego Police Department Homicide Unit responded to the scene and is
conducting the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation.
The involved officer is a fifteen year veteran of the San Diego Police Department.
The suspect has been identified as Kyle Zahacefski of Colchester, Connecticut. Investigators determined that Zahacefski arrived in San Diego on December 9, 2017 via
bus. It is unknown why he traveled to San Diego.
