Escondido

An Escondido man was shot and wounded by a police officer Wednesday evening after he opened fire on a group of officers as they prepared to search his home.

None of the officers was injured in the gunfight, which ended when John Roberts, 22, of the 1400 block of Manzanita Avenue, was shot by Escondido Police Officer Ralph Grapoli, Capt. John Fitzgerald said.

Roberts was in stable condition at Palomar Memorial Hospital on Wednesday night with gunshot wounds in his left shoulder and left forearm. He was in custody and will be booked on suspicion of assault with intent to commit murder, Fitzgerald said.

He said the officers, who suspected that there were drugs in the house, knocked on Roberts’ door and demanded entry about 7:15 p.m. Roberts allegedly fired about 10 shots from a rifle, some of them through a garage door. The officers returned fire, wounding Roberts, Fitzgerald said.

Grapoli is part of the North County Integrated Narcotics Task Force, a federally funded organization that includes officers from North County law-enforcement agencies. He will be placed on light duty while an Escondido police panel investigates the shooting.