Man attacks officers with homemade flamethrower inside San Diego adult store
Police body-camera video shows 33-year-old Saul Sandoval Chavez confronting officers with a makeshift flamethrower at the Adult Emporium, injuring three officers and a police dog before being shot dead.
On a September morning, San Diego police were dispatched after reports of a man wielding a metal rod and attempting vehicle break-ins near El Cajon Boulevard. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Saul Sandoval Chavez, carried a torch lighter and an aerosol container, which he later fashioned into a flamethrower. Pursuing him through the North Park neighborhood, officers cornered Chavez inside the Adult Emporium sex shop, where he turned the weapon on them and on police K-9 Ryder, causing facial and upper-body burns.
Bean-bag rounds were deployed, but Chavez continued his assault, prompting an officer to fire, hitting an aerosol can and creating a fireball as he collapsed. Emergency crews performed CPR, and Chavez was transported to a hospital where he died. The incident left three officers with burn injuries and the dog hospitalized. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, with oversight from the District Attorney’s Office, FBI and US Attorney’s Office.
Why it matters
The incident highlights risks officers face from improvised weapons and raises questions about police response tactics.
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