Cop fatally shoots chain-wielding suspect after machete attack, police say

Police thought they were chasing a suspected drunk driver -- but discovered they were chasing a 7-year-old boy. (istock)

A suspect swinging a metal chain was fatally shot by a San Diego police officer on Wednesday afternoon after refusing to comply with the officer’s orders to drop the chain, police said.

Police had responded to the city’s Southcrest section shortly before 5:30 p.m. on a report of a machete assault, FOX 5 San Diego reported. When they arrived, they found that a 57-year-old man who was known to the suspect had been injured by a machete, the report said.

When an officer located the assault suspect, he was carrying the metal chain and began swinging it at the officer. The officer told the suspect several times to drop the chain, then fired a stun gun when the suspect wouldn’t comply, police told FOX 5.

But the stun gun was not effective, so the officer fired his service revolver, hitting the suspect at least once, police said.

The suspect was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries about 8 p.m. The machete assault victim also received treatment, for non-life-threatening injuries, FOX 5 reported.

The officer was not injured, police Capt. Tom Underwood said.