San Diego Cops Open Fire During So-Called ‘Routine’ Traffic Stop [WATCH]

Newly released body camera footage from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department shows a tense traffic stop that escalated into a fatal shooting in San Marcos earlier this year, after a passenger in a stopped vehicle raised a firearm and fired at deputies.

The incident occurred on Feb. 18 along North Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos, a city in northern San Diego County.

According to authorities, the encounter began as a routine traffic stop before quickly developing into a prolonged standoff that ended with deputies opening fire.

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The sheriff’s department released video of the confrontation, which involved six deputies and the vehicle’s passenger, identified as 33-year-old Andre Raphael Mendez.

According to officials, a deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office initiated the stop after noticing a broken taillight on a red Hyundai Sonata.

During the stop, deputies said the passenger provided a false name when questioned.

A records check conducted during the stop suggested the vehicle may have been stolen, according to reporting from NBC7.

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Authorities said the interaction became increasingly tense as deputies attempted to verify the passenger’s identity and investigate the status of the vehicle.

Body camera footage shows deputies repeatedly issuing commands to Mendez during the encounter.

The situation stretched on for several minutes as officers attempted to gain control of the scene and convince him to comply with their orders.

At one point during the standoff, deputies removed the female driver from the front seat of the vehicle.

Video released by the sheriff’s department shows officers pulling the driver out of the car while continuing to issue commands to the passenger.

Authorities said Mendez became increasingly uncooperative during the stop.

According to investigators, he rolled up the passenger-side window and refused to follow commands from deputies to lower it again.

Deputies continued issuing verbal commands while surrounding the vehicle.

The body camera video captures officers repeatedly instructing Mendez to drop a firearm that deputies believed he had inside the car.

As the situation escalated, one deputy approached the passenger side and used a baton to smash the vehicle’s window. The move allowed officers to attempt additional measures to gain control of the situation.

Deputies then deployed a Taser in an effort to subdue Mendez.

According to authorities, the use of the Taser immediately preceded the gunfire that ended the confrontation.

Investigators said that after the Taser was deployed, Mendez raised a firearm and fired a shot.

At that point, multiple deputies opened fire.

The video released by the sheriff’s department includes footage from six different body cameras worn by deputies at the scene.

The department also included video recorded by a bystander on a cellphone, which captured part of the confrontation from outside the immediate scene.

The gunfire lasted only moments but involved multiple deputies who discharged their weapons during the exchange.

Following the shooting, sheriff’s department personnel attempted life-saving measures at the scene.

Authorities said deputies provided emergency aid to Mendez immediately after the gunfire stopped.

Despite those efforts, Mendez was pronounced dead.

Officials confirmed that no deputies, the driver, or any bystanders were injured during the incident.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department released the body camera footage as part of its public transparency process following the deadly encounter.

The footage documents the sequence of events that unfolded during the stop, including the repeated commands issued by deputies and the moment the confrontation escalated into gunfire.

Authorities have identified the man killed in the shooting as Andre Raphael Mendez, 33.

The traffic stop and shooting took place on North Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos on Feb. 18.

Officials said the stop began with a broken taillight violation but escalated after the passenger provided a false name, refused commands from deputies, and eventually fired a weapon during the standoff.

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