Suspect shot by San Diego police after pursuit had gold lighter that looked like gun, video shows

Body-worn camera footage released Monday shows a San Diego police officer shoot and wound a driver who allegedly reached for an imitation firearm while officers were telling him to surrender in the La Presa neighborhood of Spring Valley earlier this year.

San Diego police Officer Henry Ingram Jr. shot Edwaun Thames, 39, after a 10-minute chase that ended in a crash near Jamacha Road and Gillespie Drive on Jan. 22, investigators said.

Thames survived his injuries and was arrested on suspicion of evading, possession of a stolen vehicle and vehicle theft. The firearm found at the scene was later determined to be a gold lighter manufactured to appear as a revolver.

The county Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation under a reciprocal agreement with San Diego police, so neither department investigates its own officers or deputies.

Monday’s release includes footage from two body-worn cameras, including the camera worn by Ingram, and is more than seven minutes long. Previously, investigators had released 90 seconds of footage showing the body-worn camera footage recorded by Ingram.

The new edited video begins by saying that on the day of the shooting, San Diego police recei...