Chief: Man Fatally Shot By San Jose Officers Was Armed, Suicidal
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – An armed man with a self-inflicted wound was fatally shot by two officers in the East San Jose foothills on the Fourth of July, police Chief Eddie Garcia said Tuesday.
The suspect, whose name is not yet being released, was reportedly suicidal and had a gun in the 900 block of Feller Avenue near Story Road shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, Garcia said during a news conference late Tuesday morning outside police headquarters.
Arriving officers weren't able to make contact with the suspect for 15 minutes, during which time they learned he was inside a home and had shot himself in the head, Garcia said.
The officers backed away to the other side of the street when they saw the suspect come out with a handgun and attempted to negotiate with him for the next 14 minutes, the chief said.
"The officers retreated in an attempt to calm him down and try to get him to give up and surrender peacefully," Garcia said.
A member of the police Crisis Intervention Team "pleaded" with the suspect to drop the gun as the suspect went in and out of the residence, Garcia said.
The suspect aimed the weapon at himself and later at the officers, who responded by firing at least one round from their rifles that killed the armed man, the chief said.
"Our officers did they best they could under the circumstances," Garcia said.
There were no police body-worn cameras that captured the incident, which remains under investigation, he said.
The two officers who shot at the suspect have been placed on routine administrative leave, according to Garcia.
One of the officers is a 15-year police veteran and the other has served eight years with the department, he said.
Police expect to identify the suspect and officers on Wednesday, according to Garcia.
The San Jose Independent Police Auditor and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office are monitoring the police investigation, Garcia said.
Monday's incident was the second death in four officer-involved shootings in San Jose this year.
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