Carlsbad police officer attacked with skateboard recovers from serious head injury – NBC 7 San Diego

Carlsbad police on Thursday released bodycam footage of an incident in which an officer shot a man accused of hitting him in the head with a skateboard in March.

The officer, identified in the new video only by his last name, fired three times at suspect Kyle McCord but missed after being struck immediately in the head. The video released by the department was edited with text, added graphic breaks and other details.

On March 29, around 11 p.m., Carlsbad Police Officer McKinney pulled into a parking lot in the 1000 block of Carlsbad Village Drive near the I-5 overpass after his patrol car was struck by a rock.

McKinney called for a supervisor and both were assessing the damage when a man named Kyle McCord approached McKinney from behind and struck the officer in the head with a skateboard, according to San Diego police. The department is investigating the incident under a memorandum of understanding that prohibits law enforcement from investigating their own actions.

McCord’s attack was captured by the sergeant’s body-worn camera. According to the video, McCord used the wheels and side of the skateboard to strike the officer. After the attack, McCord is seen running away. Officer McKinney drew his service weapon as he took cover and fired three times as McCord ran west through the parking lot, investigators said.

The sergeant pursued McCord for about three blocks until additional officers arrived at the scene and took McCord into custody.

According to the video, McCord was wearing a mask and gloves at the time of the attack.

The suspect ran as the officer fired three shots but missed. Other officers responding to the incident arrested 32-year-old Kyle McCord a few blocks away and took him into custody for attempted murder of a police officer.

The San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating the incident. It is standard procedure in San Diego County for investigators from another police department to investigate all officer-involved shootings.

Investigators are trying to determine why the officer was attacked by a man with a skateboard, NBC 7’s Allison Ash reports.

San Diego Police Lt. Steve Shebloski told NBC 7 on Monday that investigators do not know why McCord allegedly launched a seemingly unprovoked attack on the officer, whether McCord was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or whether he was suffering from a mental illness.