San Diego police shoot domestic violence suspect inside theater

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An Escondido man suspected in a domestic violence case was shot by police Saturday when he pointed a gun at a San Diego officer, authorities said.

Tom Billodeaux, 20, had fled into a theater in the Carmel Mountain Ranch neighborhood when police responded about 2:30 p.m. to reports of a man assaulting a woman in a parking lot, police said. Billodeaux had shown up at his girlfriend’s workplace and physically attacked her, police said.

Once inside the theater, police said they found Billodeaux pretending to be a movie patron. Ordered by police to show his hands, he initially put his hands in the air but then lowered them quickly to his lap and raised a gun at an officer, according to Lt. Ernie Herbert of the homicide unit.

An officer described as an 18-month veteran of the department fired on the suspect, police said. Billodeaux was wounded in the arm and chest and taken to a hospital. He will be booked into county jail once released from the hospital.

There were patrons inside the theater when the shooting took place but none was injured, Herbert said.

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--Tony Perry in San Diego