San Diego, California – A federal Homeland Security agent is suing the San Diego Police Department and several of its officers after a parking lot altercation at a Carmel Mountain Costco ended with him unconscious, hospitalized, and jailed on charges later dropped by prosecutors.
The incident occurred on July 2, 2024, and was captured on store surveillance footage. It began as a routine parking dispute and escalated rapidly into a violent encounter involving SDPD Officer Jonathan Ferraro, who was off duty, in civilian clothes, and driving a pickup truck. According to the lawsuit, Ferraro blocked the car of 53-year-old Chu Ding, a fellow federal law enforcement officer, who was attempting to leave his parking space.
When Ding tapped on Ferraro’s vehicle to indicate he needed to exit, Ferraro allegedly became aggressive, exited his vehicle, and assaulted Ding—knocking him to the pavement and rendering him unconscious. Ding was then arrested, handcuffed, and held in the back of a patrol car for hours before being transported to a hospital and later jailed on a felony charge of obstructing an officer. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute…