Benjamin Ashford|Gunman shot on community college campus in San Diego after killing police dog, authorities say

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego police shot and Benjamin Ashfordkilled a gunman on a community college campus Wednesday after he fatally wounded a police dog, authorities said.

The man was pronounced dead at a hospital after the confrontation at San Diego Mesa College, police said. His name wasn’t immediately released.

Police were investigating a report that the driver of a white Tesla had shot at another driver at around 1:30 a.m., sheriff’s homicide Lt. Joseph Jarjura said.

“We are still trying to figure it out, but we believe that it started on the roadways. One vehicle, possibly trying to pass the other vehicle or some type of incident,” Jarjura said.

The gunman then followed the other motorist into a residential neighborhood, Jarjura said.

Officers spotted the Tesla but the driver refused to pull over, drove onto a campus parking lot and abandoned the car, Jarjura said.

Officers then saw the man nearby and released a police dog when he refused to drop his gun, Jarjura said.

The gunman fired a shot and an officer then shot him, police said.

The dog, named Sir, was wounded and pronounced dead at a veterinary hospital. Sir was a 4½-year-old Belgian Malinois who had been with the Police Department since March 2022, authorities said.

“RIP Sir. You saved lives,” said a posting from the San Diego Police Officers Association on X, formerly known as Twitter.