Late Night Traffic Stop Erupts Into Gunfire After Man Grabs Handgun

Reports on a traffic stop by a San Diego County Sheriff's deputy in San Marcos, California, on the evening of Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The stop began over a vehicle code violation, but a records check and visible steering column damage led the deputy to suspect the car might be stolen. Additional deputies and a Palomar College Reserve Police officer arrived, and the male passenger armed himself with a handgun despite repeated commands. After tasers were used without effect and the passenger fired two rounds, several officers discharged their weapons, and the man died after life-saving measures were attempted. The video is shared for informational purposes and is presented as a police incident record. The content is serious in nature, and viewer discretion is advised. The description is based on the official account given with the video.

• Traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in San Marcos, California
• Records check and steering column damage raised suspicion the car was stolen
• Passenger armed himself with a handgun; deputies fired after he fired rounds
• Passenger later identified as Andre Raphael Mendez; he did not survive

* (Disclaimer: The content in this video is intended for educational and informational purposes only) San Marcos, California — On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, shortly after 9 p.m., a San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the San Marcos station was on patrol when he conducted a traffic stop on a red Hyundai Sonata in the 600 block of N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., for a vehicle code violation. The vehicle was occupied by a 21-year-old woman in the driver’s seat and a 33-year-old man, later identified as Andre Raphael Mendez in the front passenger seat. During the traffic stop, the deputy conducted a record check of the vehicle’s license plate and VIN, which appeared inconsistent with DMV registration records. The deputy also observed damage to the steering column, suggesting the vehicle might be stolen. The deputy then requested additional deputies to assist him with the investigation. As multiple deputies and a Palomar College Reserve Police officer arrived to assist, Mendez abruptly rolled up his window and ignored commands to keep it down. Mendez then reached toward the floorboard and armed himself with a semiautomatic handgun. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, Mendez did not comply. Deputies positioned on the driver’s side safely removed the female driver from the vehicle and escorted her to safety. Mendez continued to ignore commands and began to raise the firearm. In response to this, three deputies discharged their tasers, which appeared ineffective. Mendez then fired two rounds from the cabin of the vehicle, which prompted five deputies and one Palomar College Reserve Police officer to discharge their weapons, striking Mendez. Deputies removed Mendez from the vehicle and attempted life-saving measures; however, he did not survive. 🚨𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠. ⚠️𝑉𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡.⚠️ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Special thanks to Shout-Out Supporters on Patreon: - 'DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse' - 'MrGiggles-.' - Lillian Daley - Tyrell Robertson - christine Grinter - 'Based Asuka' - 'The Evil Queen' - Benjamin Osgood - Gary Wilson - LJ - Edward Aquino - Brianna Wilkins - Eian Smith - brandon - William - Hunter - Cammy - Elisabeth Craig - Bobby Roach - Sarin Dipity - Becky Hopkins - thomas - Cody Stephens - Troy Polansky - Tulla Belle - 'quadrakyiro' - Scott Mackin - "John B. GunsSaveLife" - david wallace - Brice Danos - 'PhlyDaily' - RayJayOB - Josef Rex - 'Jun' - 'Xenik' - 'GotsNoGroove Cheryl' - James Pringle - Kelly Goodwin - 'Dawesenm' - Paul Rohrbaugh - Michael R Sheffield - 'AccuShoot.com' - Lisa Overly - Gerardo Flores - 'coco Coco' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliceActivity 🛍️ Check out our Amazon store: https://