Man shot to death by
Harbor Police in scuffle
A weekend boat party in San Diego Bay ended with a man being shot to death by Harbor Police and left a Harbor Police officer with knee and face injuries.
The man, identified as 37-year-old Steven Paul Hirschfield of Los Angeles, allegedly attacked Harbor Police on Saturday, July 19 shortly after 11 p.m., according to police.
A San Diego Harbor Police officer reportedly shot Hirschfield when Hirschfield allegedly attacked the officers who were trying to rescue him from the water Saturday night.
The Coast Guard had received a call just after 11 p.m. that a man fell overboard from the Hornblower cruise ship Inspiration during a party on the boat.
San Diego Harbor Police and Coast Guard units responded to the call and found Hirschfield in the bay about 500 feet south of North Harbor Drive, according to Unified Port of San Diego spokesperson John Gilmore.
The man reportedly fought with Harbor Police officers when the officers pulled him from the water, Gilmore said.
“It’s unclear what happened and why, but there was a scuffle and the man became combative and violent and there was this struggle,” Gilmore said.
Hirschfield reportedly wrestled a Taser from one of the officers and began beating him in the face with the baton-like weapon, Gilmore said. Hirschfield then allegedly tried to get hold of the officer’s gun, prompting a second officer to shoot Hirschfield once in the torso, according to a police statement.
Medical personnel pronounced the man dead when officers arrived at the Embarcadero, Gilmore said.
The injured officer was taken to the hospital for face and leg injuries. He was treated and released the next day, Gilmore said.
Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine in such cases, Gilmore said.
The San Diego Police Department is conducting an investigation and will meet with the District Attorney’s Office to determine if the shooting was justified, according to Gilmore.
Area rattlesnake bites
proving unusually potent
For the second year in a row, medical center toxicologists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are reporting unusually powerful rattlesnake bites and unusually extreme reactions to those bites.
“Our victims are showing symptoms of severe weakness, trouble breathing and low blood pressure this year,” said Richard Clark, M.D., director of the UCSD medical technology division and the San Diego medical director of the California Poison Control System. “We really don’t know why the venom is becoming increasingly potent. Some speculate that, with the modern world encroaching on nature, it could be survival of the fittest.”
Snakebite symptoms can include extreme pain at the bite location, nausea and sometimes diarrhea, followed by swelling in the mouth and throat.
The most common injuries are to the fingers, hands and feet; the bites result in tissue damage and swelling. Within minutes, the victim can become lightheaded and go into shock. UCSD toxicologists reportedly see 50 to 60 snakebite cases a year.
August is said to be the peak month for reported bite cases. UCSD toxicologists emphasize that traditional first aid treatments, such as applying ice or a tourniquet, are of little value and may cause further injury.
They advise bite victims to seek emergency treatment at a hospital or a nearby care facility.
Band at the Beach slated for new run Aug. 4-8
Band at the Beach, a summer music enrichment camp now in its 20th year in Point Loma, will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 through 8 in the auditorium at Correia Middle School, 4302 Valeta St.
The camp is open to students in grades 7-12 who have had two full years of school and/or private lessons. The cost is $145 per student. Some scholarships are available. The camp culminates with a free concert for the public at 4 p.m. on Aug. 8 at Correia.
Participants in Band at the Beach receive individual and personalized music instruction from longtime area musicians. This year’s instructors include Dan Nelson, director of bands at Point Loma Nazarene University; Jim Prepasso, former music teacher at Correia; Abelardo Flores, San Diego Concert Band conductor; Shawn Loescher, a former Correia student and graduate of the University of California, Berkeley College of Jazz; Debbi Nevin, Lincoln High School band director; Josh Prout, Lewis Middle School band director; and Dell Schroeder, director of Band at the Beach. For more information, call (619) 222-3065, or visit www.bandatthebeach.org.
Church to hold barbecue and bluegrass concert
Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church ” commonly known as The Red Brick Church ” will host an evening of music and food beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 27 at the corner of Chatsworth Boulevard and Udall Street in Point Loma.
Musical entertainment will be provided by The Brombies, a bluegrass band that is fresh from the International Bluegrass Music After-Hours Showcase in Nashville and the Huck Finn Jubilee National Playoffs in Victorville.
Featured will be Jo Ellen Doering on guitar and vocals, Bill Bryson (Desert Rose Band, Laurel Canyon Ramblers, Bluegrass, Etc.) on bass and vocals, Patrick Sauber (BladeRunners, Chris Stuart, Mighty Wind cast and band) on banjo and vocals and George Doering on mandolin and vocals.
As part of the church’s Summer Sunday Outdoor Concert Series, the 5 p.m. performance by The Brombies will follow a barbecue. A portion of Udall Street by the Hervey/Point Loma Branch Library will be closed off during the event.
Point Loma Presbyterian Church is located at 2128 Chatsworth Blvd. Donations will be requested for the barbecue and concert.
For more information, call (619) 223-1633, or visit www.pointlomachurch.org.