San Jose Police Still Investigating Late-Night Shootout, Car Chase

A routine light rail patrol exploded into a downtown shootout and high-speed chase Friday night, after a man shot at an officer and carjacked a vehicle, according to the San Jose Police Department.

Two patrol officers approached a group of men on a light rail train around 11:22pm to ask if they had paid their fares. Several of them said they had not, so the officers told them to pay up at the next stop. All but one of the men complied, according to SJPD Sgt. Enrique Garcia.

One took off running, leading officers on a foot chase. The suspect then pulled out a gun and shot at the cops, police said. One officer shot back, but the man kept running.

After a failed carjacking, the suspect succeeded in a second attempt at a parking garage, police said. Police followed the alleged gunman onto the freeway, where the California Highway Patrol joined the chase.

Police said the suspect tried to drive into an officer at Carling Court and Edenview Drive. Fearing for his life, that officer also shot at the driver but missed, police said.

The chase ended when the suspect crashed into another car on Almaden Expressway, near Branham Lane, and fled on foot, according to police. The suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries, as were two people in the car he hit. Police said none of the suspect's, crash victims' or officers' injuries came from gunfire.

Police are still investigating the incident. Per protocol, both officers who fired shots have been placed on paid leave, while the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office oversees an investigation into the incident.

After his treatment at the hospital, the suspect will be booked at the Main Jail on charges of attempted homicide on a peace officer, carjacking and felony reckless evading.

11 Comments

  1. What is this? Cut and paste from the Merc, slap the Silicon Valley Newsroom by-line on and bing bang boom SJI thinks it’s reporting ‘news” more than 2 days after the incident?

    Seriously, how pathetic is this posted “6 hours ago” (as of 11pm)?
    “…After his treatment at the hospital, the suspect will be booked at the Main Jail…”

    If we are to believe this sentence then we would have to believe the suspect is STILL at the hospital some 2 days after his arrest which would lead one to believe that he was STILL getting treated for some very SERIOUS injuries.

    Is it the usual anti-police bias SJI chooses to flaunt or is it simply incompetance?

    Josh what do you say? Will you censor this comment or edit out the poor work? (I did save a screen shot for the doubters)

    • Without much further ado, I give you; “The Dan Pulcrano center for kids that can’t report good and want to do other stuff good too!”
      What is this? Journalism for ants?
      What?
      How can we be expected to teach children how to report when they can’t even fit inside the building?
      Dan it’s just a model.
      I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES! The center has to be at least, 3 times bigger than this!
      He’s absolutely right.
      Thank you.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffj8SHrbk0

    • Mr. Reliable,

      Don’t mock vehicle 1326. It may have been in service since 1998 but is probably still one of the newest patrol cars in the SJPD fleet. Also, I think the officer driving it now works for another agency making almost twice the money and with better retirement benefits.

  2. The Silicon Valley Newsroom interns must have slept in. The Merc ia reporting that the suspect is Jimmy Miranda 26 of SJ and that Miranda is in custody at the Jail.

    Great work, excellent followup…

  3. Wow, it’s been almost a week and neither Cordell nor Jayadev have weighed in to complain that the cops targeted this Mexican guy who was riding SJ’s 19th century trolley without paying his fare. So, now this genius is facing 25-to-life because he was too thuggy to pay the fare. Hasta la vista cabrón!

    • Cordell has taken her show on the road. She was interviewed by some tv station regarding the officer who unholstered his pistol when the hostile nut job in Rohnert Park said he would not remove his hands from his pockets when asked by the officer. Cordell said she would personally be filing a complaint against the officer.

      • This “hands in the pockets” scenario is a common one in police work. There really is no necessarily right or wrong way to handle it. Much depends on the purpose for the stop, the suspect’s behavior, posture, words, apparent level of intoxication etc. so it is difficult to know what the most appropriate action for the officer to have taken should have been.

        I would be extremely interested in hearing Cordell’s suggestions as to the proper way to deal with the situation. In all seriousness, I would ask Cordell to provide training on the proper technique by way of “role play” training. Cordell could act as the officer while I acted as the suspect. Standing with my hands in my jacket pockets, at a close but appropriate distance away, and after I asked her to show me what she would do in that situation, the very second she started to utter her first word, I would fire a blank round, stuffed with as much powder as possible, from a 2”-barreled .38 revolver, right through the pocket of the jacket. There would, of course, be a very loud explosion from the fired round, a spectacular flash and a large hole would be blown in the coat pocket, which would then be smoldering. However, I believe even someone as pompously self righteous as Cordell would receive a “flash” of insight.. I truly would like to give this demonstration. It might also make quite an advertisement for TENA.

        I also wonder what would happen if, after a subject refused to take his hands out of his pockets during a legitimate police contact, an officer was to draw his handgun to a ready position, take a step or 2 towards any available cover, and, while remaining mindful of reaction time, tell the subject, in a calm, professional voice; “Sir, I believe you have a gun in your pocket. Please turn around and slowly withdraw your hands, empty, from your pockets. I want to avoid the type of misunderstanding and accident I had the last time this happened. This is your only warning. I may interpret any lack of cooperation as a move towards attack. Please comply now, before I get even more nervous. I already cleaned this gun once today and don’t want to have to do it again”. I have to believe that such would impact a subject’s decision making process.

        • What a great learning opportunity…!

          Can you imagine a scenario where a person enters a courtroom where Cordell is presiding? Said person must address The Court (cordell) yet said person choses to violate convention/tradition/court room etiquette what ever… and speak while slouched down in a chair ? Maybe standing with back turned to the judge or hands in pockets?… or while lying on the floor?… or while texting on a phone? Or from any other non-normal posture?

          How many times do you think Cordell would “kindly and politely” instruct said person on the proper way to conduct oneself in a courtroom in front of a judge? How many times might the admonishment include words to the effect of ” common decency, common sense, respect for place and position, mutual respect ….” be sprinkled in?

          … before a Cordell (or any judge ) reacts with visible emotion (brought on by normal human frustration ) and exerts the FULL authority they are entrusted with (arrest for contempt…) in an extremely “passionate” way?…. followed by a recess to regain composure?

          I don’t think it would take very long at all. And if the lout where some average white guy… probably even less time to react.

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