Police sergeant shot Fremont robbery suspect by mistake after getting bitten by K-9, department says

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A police shooting in Fremont that injured a burglary suspect happened after a sergeant was bitten by a police dog, causing him to pull the trigger, the department said.

The shooting happened on the evening of Feb. 14 in the area of Blacow Road and Mattos Court in the city’s Glenmoor neighborhood. The Fremont Police Department said in a press release that detectives had been pursuing a group of suspects connected to car and residential burglaries in several Bay Area cities and who were also involved in similar crimes in Fremont in 2025. 

After committing a series of burglaries and other crimes in Bay Area cities on Feb. 14, police said the four suspects returned to Fremont, where the detectives began pursuing them. When their vehicle became disabled, the four suspects ran off and after a foot chase, one suspect was shot, and the three others were arrested, police said. 

On Thursday, the Police Department issued a press release saying that the preliminary investigation indicated that while attempting to apprehend a suspect, a police sergeant unintentionally discharged his weapon after he was bitten by a K-9.

The suspect who was shot was taken to the hospital for treatment, and he remained hospitalized as of Thursday evening for an injury that was not life-threatening, police said. He was identified as 25-year-old Freddy Magaña Gonzales of Redwood City.

Fremont police Sgt. James Taylor was identified as the officer who shot Magaña Gonzales. Taylor also went to the hospital to be treated for a dog bite following the shooting, police said. He is a 17-year veteran of the department and is currently assigned to the department’s crime reduction unit.

Police said Magaña Gonzales is expected to be released from the hospital in the coming days and will be booked for multiple outstanding residential burglary warrants from Bay Area law enforcement agencies. The three other suspects arrested at the scene were later turned over to other jurisdictions to be booked on charges including burglary, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools, police said. 

Separately, police said all four suspects will face a variety of other charges in Fremont that include reckless evasion of a peace officer, possession of a concealed firearm, a felon in possession of a firearm, obliteration of a serial number on a firearm, resisting arrest, and theft.

The department said more information about the shooting will be released when appropriate and in accordance with state laws.

Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department’s investigations unit at (510) 790-6900. Anonymous tips can be sent by texting ‘Tip FremontPD’ followed by a short message to 888-777 or at fremontpolice.gov/Tip.