San Jose teens involved in traffic stop that preceded police shooting, attempted carjacking
By Carlos E. Castañeda
Two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old were arrested following an incident this week that prompted a police shooting, followed by an attempted carjacking, authorities said Thursday.
The San Jose Police Department issued an update on Thursday to an incident that happened on Monday just before 3 a.m. in the area of North 21st and Santa Clara streets near Roosevelt Park. Officers pulled over an SUV with three males inside for a vehicle code violation and when officers walked up to the vehicle, the driver drove toward one of the officers, striking the officer with the vehicle, police said.
A second officer fired a round at the SUV which fled the scene, police said. The officer who was hit by the SUV had injuries that were not life- threatening.
Using the city’s automated license plate reader cameras, investigators located it abandoned about three miles south in the area of Lucretia Avenue and Tully Road. Police said that minutes later, a man flagged officers down to report an attempted carjacking nearby on Balme Drive involving three males matching the description of those in the initial incident.
The investigation determined that the man was driving for a rideshare company and he saw three suspicious males running toward his vehicle, police said. Officers arrived to search the area and found the three teenage boys who were hiding, police said.
None of the teens had been struck by the officer’s gunfire during the initial incident. One 14-year-old suspect was booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle. The other two suspects were booked for obstructing a peace officer and for possession of a stolen vehicle.
It was the department’s fourth police shooting this year, and the officer involved has one and a half years of experience, police said. As per protocol, the shooting will be investigated separately by the department’s homicide unit and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The incident is also being reviewed by the department’s internal affairs unit, the City Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Independent Police Auditor.
Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact Sergeant Barragan #4106 and/or Detective Harrington #4365 of the Police Department’s homicide unit at 4106@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4365@sanjoseca.gov, or at 408-277-5283.
