The critical incident video, released Thursday by SDPD as part of the department's transparency policy, documents portions of the June 30 encounter involving 44-year-old Judah Starr McBreairty, beginning near Sea World Drive and Pacific Highway. The release follows an investigation by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, which handles officer-involved shooting investigations involving SDPD under a countywide agreement.
The body camera footage begins with two officers approaching a messy makeshift encampment in an open field littered with personal belongings. McBreairty is dressed almost entirely in black, wearing black boots, black pants, a hooded jacket with the hood pulled over a black baseball cap, a black face covering concealing nearly his entire face, and white gloves. Only his eyes and area around them are visible.
One officer immediately tells him, "You took off on us yesterday."
"I took off?" McBreairty replies.
"Yeah, you took off," the officer responds.
"Uh... I don't know," McBreairty says before asking officers whether they had taken anything from the camp.
"We didn't take anything," one officer replies.
"Are you sure? Because there were computers here that were stolen immediately after you left," McBreairty responds.
The officer then asks his name.
"My name is Bob. How you doing?" McBreairty replies before later identifying himself as "Bob McCarthy."
The officer appears skeptical and instructs him to keep his hands out of his pockets.
"Keep my hands out of my pockets?" McBreairty asks.
"Yeah, or else you're going to go in cuffs," the officer replies.
"Well, I'm just going to leave then," McBreairty says.
As the exchange continues, officers tell him they are there to offer resources.
"We want to offer you some resources," one officer says.
"I don't want your resources... just leave me alone," McBreairty responds. "I want you to leave me alone, sir."
McBreairty then turns and calmly walks away, telling officers not to follow him.
The department's edited video leaves an important gap unexplained. Although officers question McBreairty after he provides the name "Bob McCarthy," the footage cuts moments later to radio traffic indicating dispatch has confirmed the man has an active no-bail warrant. The public release does not show how officers established his identity before requesting the warrant check, despite their earlier statement that they recognized him from the previous day.
From there, the encounter escalates rapidly. The video cuts to an officer sprinting after McBreairty with a Taser drawn.
"Stop or you get tased!" the officer yells.
McBreairty repeatedly screams, "Help! Help! Help!" as he runs.
The pursuing officer deploys the Taser from what appears to be a considerable distance, though it does not stop McBreairty or appear to hit him.
Seconds later, McBreairty abruptly turns toward the officer. Audio from the body camera suggests he shouts words including "Freeze!" and "Don't move!" while extending his hands toward the officer in a manner police later described as simulating a firearm.
The officer immediately retreats several steps before firing his duty weapon approximately twelve times.
Despite the volume of gunfire, McBreairty does not appear to be struck. Video shows him diving to the ground before apparently getting back up and continuing to flee on an asphalt bike path toward the San Diego River. The officer briefly retreats beneath a graffiti-covered freeway overpass before resuming the pursuit.
Police ultimately shut down large portions of Interstate 5, Interstate 8, Pacific Highway and surrounding roadways as dozens of officers, SWAT personnel, K-9 teams and crisis negotiators converged on the riverbed. The search lasted roughly ten hours, creating severe traffic congestion throughout Mission Valley and one of the largest police responses seen in the area in recent memory. The body-camera video ends well before the final arrest.
According to investigators, McBreairty remained hidden in the riverbed for hours before officers eventually located him and took him into custody with the assistance of a police dog. The newly released critical incident video does not include footage of that arrest or the K-9 deployment, despite those events bringing the lengthy standoff to its conclusion. Authorities have previously stated McBreairty was treated for injuries sustained during the dog apprehension before being booked into San Diego Central Jail.
McBreairty was arrested on suspicion of violating parole, resisting an officer and illegally camping on public property. Police have stated McBreairty had an outstanding no-bail warrant and was known to officers from prior contacts. Previous news reports have documented several earlier confrontations between McBreairty and law enforcement in the San Diego River area, including prior incidents involving lengthy standoffs and alleged weapons.
The shooting itself remains notable because none of the approximately twelve rounds fired by Officer Johnathan Penuelas struck McBreairty despite the relatively close distance shown on the body-camera footage. In its narration accompanying the video, SDPD states Officer Penuelas fired because he believed McBreairty had pointed his hands at officers in a manner simulating a firearm. No firearm was recovered. As with all officer-involved shootings, the Sheriff's Office is conducting the criminal investigation while SDPD carries out its own administrative review into whether department policies were followed.
The release offers the public its first direct look at an encounter that evolved from what officers initially described as an outreach contact into one of San Diego's most disruptive police incidents of the year. At the same time, the edited footage leaves some questions unanswered, including how officers confirmed McBreairty's identity before the warrant check and why the department chose not to include the final K-9 apprehension that ended the hours-long search.
The San Diego Police Department's critical incident video is available below.
Originally published on August 6, 2026.
