San Jose police exchanged gunfire with a man early Friday during a welfare check at his home, but no one was injured.
Shortly before 5 a.m., dispatchers received a call from the family of a 45-year-old man who was threatening suicide. Two officers arrived at the home near the intersection of Ross and Leigh avenues and found the man standing in his yard armed with a handgun.
For half an hour, officers tried to negotiate with the man to drop his gun, interim Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a news briefing Friday evening. Then the man put the gun under his chin.
The officers warned the man to put down his weapon, after which he fired at a police drone flying overhead. The officers then fired a “less lethal” 40 millimeter projectile, hitting the man, who then turned his gun on them.
Believing their lives were in danger, the police officers shot the man with their weapons. He was hit by a non-fatal projectile and fell to the ground, then got up and fired at the officers. In response, the two officers shot the man, but no one was hit, Joseph said.
“Bullets traveling just inches from where they flew could have had a completely different outcome,” Joseph said.
Additional officers arrived on scene and assisted the two officers in arresting the man at 6:26 a.m.
This is the first officer-involved shooting in 2024, and the fourth time an officer has been shot in the past year.
“This incident highlights the challenges police officers face when attempting to peacefully resolve a situation in which an individual is likely struggling with mental health issues and armed with a handgun pointed at both police officers and himself,” Joseph said. “Throughout this ordeal, the enforcement officers demonstrated extraordinary mastery. The officers used their training and put their own lives at risk to continue speaking with (the man) in hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution.
The man, a San Jose resident, owned six registered firearms.
During the press conference, Mayor Matt Mahan expressed his gratitude to the two officers who initially responded to the scene.
“It reminds us how dangerous the job is, the incredible courage our police officers must show every day to do their jobs and how committed we are to providing the best training possible,” he said.
This incident is another example of “the complex interplay between mental health issues and public safety in our community,” the mayor said.
“It’s clear that we have a lot of work to do in San Jose and across California, to invest in mental health care … and ensure that people get help,” Mahan said. This fits a broader pattern of untreated mental health issues in the community.
California Daily Newspapers
