Authorities Identify Suspect Shot After Stolen-Vehicle Chase Ended in La Presa and Spring Valley

Suspect identified; investigation continues under regional officer-involved shooting protocol

Authorities have identified the man shot by a San Diego Police Department officer after a vehicle pursuit that ended in the La Presa/Spring Valley area on January 22, 2026. The suspect was identified as Edwaun Walter Thames, 39, a San Diego County resident. He survived the shooting, received hospital treatment for serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and was later booked into jail.

The incident began at about 12:40 p.m., when police received a report of a stolen vehicle near Euclid Avenue and Imperial Avenue in the city of San Diego. An officer located the vehicle on Imperial Avenue and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver did not comply, triggering a pursuit that moved east through surface streets.

Pursuit ended in crash near Jamacha Road; officer reported minor injuries

During the chase, officers deployed spike strips in an effort to stop the vehicle. The suspect vehicle drove over the strips but continued moving until it crashed into a light pole near Jamacha Road and Gillespie Drive. Authorities said the pole fell onto the hood of a police patrol vehicle, causing major damage to the cruiser and minor injuries to an officer at the scene.

After the crash, the suspect exited the vehicle. Officers reported seeing an item on the ground that appeared to be a firearm near the suspect. Authorities said the suspect failed to comply with repeated commands and then reached toward the item, at which point an officer fired, striking him. Officers immediately provided emergency medical aid until the suspect was transported to a hospital.

Authorities said officers observed an object that appeared to be a firearm near the suspect, and that he reached toward it after not complying with commands.

Officer identified; charges filed as multiple reviews proceed

The officer who fired was identified as Henry Ingram Jr., assigned to patrol at the Southeastern Division. Authorities said he has been with the department for approximately two years and has nine years of total law enforcement experience.

Thames was formally charged with three felonies:

• Felony evading a police officer (Vehicle Code 2800.2(a))
• Possession of a stolen vehicle (Penal Code 496d(a))
• Vehicle theft (Vehicle Code 10851(a))

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit is leading the officer-involved shooting investigation under a countywide agreement intended to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest when police personnel are involved. Once the investigation is completed, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether any criminal liability applies. Separately, San Diego police will conduct an administrative review of the firearm discharge. Federal authorities were also described as monitoring the case.

Investigators have not publicly released a final determination on whether the object involved was a functional firearm, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.