A La Mesa police officer who opened fire on a domestic violence suspect during a pursuit Sunday morning was identified by investigators Friday as an eight-year veteran of the La Mesa Police Department who fatally shot a man alongside another officer earlier in his career.
Officer Taylor Persitza did not strike or injure anyone Sunday morning when he opened fire on Jahlil Juakeen Johnson, 29, along Parks Avenue after Johnson allegedly reversed his car into the police vehicle that Persitza was exiting at the time, according to San Diego police homicide Lt. Lou Maggi.
The shots struck Johnson’s vehicle. Persitza sustained a head injury from the impact of the crash and was treated at a hospital and released.
As part of a countywide agreement, San Diego police homicide detectives investigate when officers in other law enforcement agencies fire their weapons, regardless of whether anyone is struck by the gunfire.
Persitza was previously involved in a shooting in August 2017, when he had been on the La Mesa police force for about a year. In that incident, he and Officer Jonathan Seydel fatally shot 19-year-old Spring Valley resident Isaias Raziel Ochoa, who ran from police after a pursuit and was firing a gun in the air when Persitza and Seydel shot and killed him.
The county District Attorney’s Office concluded in 2018 that the shooting of Ochoa was justified. La Mesa police also concluded that Persitza and Seydel were justified in shooting Ochoa, KPBS reported in 2019.
At least one study has shown that an officer who is involved in one shooting is 51% more likely to get involved in another shooting than is an officer who has not shot anyone. Law enforcement officials have said officers have no control over the calls they go to and each shooting should be evaluated on its own, while critics have said officers involved in multiple shootings warrant closer scrutiny.
Sunday’s incident began around 10:40 a.m. when someone called police to report that a man whom police allege was Johnson was strangling a woman in the area of Normal Avenue just west of Parks Avenue, Maggi said in a statement. As officers arrived, they spotted the man driving off with a woman; he eventually pulled over and allowed the woman to exit the car before taking off.
Officers started to pursue the driver, but stopped when they learned two children, ages 5 and 7, were still in the car, Maggi said.
Johnson soon returned, let the kids out, then took off again, according to Maggi. Officers again gave chase, throwing down a spike strip that Johnson drove over.
Johnson stopped on Parks Avenue and a police vehicle pulled behind him, Maggi said. As Persitza exited from the enger seat, getting ready to hold the suspect at gunpoint, the driver backed into the police vehicle. The impact caused Persitza to hit his head and he fired “multiple times” in Johnson’s direction, striking his car with several of the shots.
The suspect drove off again, this time leading officers on a long chase through San Diego — and driving over two more spike strips — before heading back into La Mesa.
There, on University Avenue not far from La Mesa Boulevard, one of Johnson’s relatives stepped in front of the crippled car, prompting the fleeing driver to stop, Maggi said. He got out and officers sicced a police dog on him, but the dog’s bite was unsuccessful in subduing Johnson and he took off running.
Officers from La Mesa, San Diego and El Cajon eventually caught and arrested him about two blocks away, with El Cajon officers using a police dog and a Taser to help get him into custody, Maggi said.
Johnson was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries incurred during the arrest, then was booked into jail on suspicion of several charges, including domestic violence and child endangerment, Maggi said.
Jail records showed Johnson remained in custody Friday in lieu of $1.5 million bail and is facing eight felony charges in El Cajon Superior Court, including counts related to domestic violence, child endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon and obstructing and resisting officers.
