A gun battle unfolded on the streets of a Northern California metropolis this week that was captured in disturbing video — an incidence of violence {that a} police official likened to “an motion film” that no one wished to see occur in actuality.
The San José Police Division recognized the carjacking suspect on the heart of the incident, who shot and wounded an officer throughout a close-range gunfight earlier than he was mowed down by a police cruiser and fatally shot.
The gunfight marked the tip of the suspect’s violent four-day crime spree throughout two counties that included armed robberies, carjackings, automotive chases and police shootouts, mentioned San José Police Chief Paul Joseph at a information convention Thursday afternoon, a day after the incident.
Mohamed Husien, 30, of Davis, was killed after being struck by a police cruiser and fatally shot, police say.
(San José Police Division)
“It concerned at the least six legislation enforcement businesses, who pursued the suspect throughout a number of jurisdictions as he positioned numerous neighborhood members at risk as gun battles unfolded in a number of cities,” Joseph mentioned.
The police chief recognized the suspect as Mohamed Husien, 30, a resident of Davis. Husien was pronounced useless on the scene.
The shootout, captured on video by information helicopters and witnesses, erupted Wednesday afternoon after the suspect crashed his automotive close to Julian Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue, subsequent to the offramp of Freeway 87 and 7 blocks from Metropolis Corridor.
The movies shared on social media present the suspect dodging a police cruiser trying to run him down earlier than opening hearth on the officer and charging him.
Within the movies, the suspect fires his weapon from the rear of the police cruiser whereas the officer returns hearth from the motive force’s seat earlier than exiting and retreating from the spot.
“The suspect continued to circle the [officer’s] patrol car whereas firing at him from solely ft away,” Joseph mentioned.
He mentioned the officer, who had not too long ago been promoted to sergeant, continued to fireside even after being struck by a bullet and bleeding from his head.
Dozens of commuters discovered themselves caught in the course of the gunfight, which ended when the armed suspect — making an attempt to carjack a car stopped on the highway — was struck and run over by one other police cruiser.
Joseph mentioned the suspect continued to maneuver and was nonetheless armed with a firearm illegally outfitted with an prolonged journal, prompting officers to fatally shoot him.
“This was a scene none of us ever wished to witness in actual life,” he mentioned. “It’s the sort of footage individuals may anticipate from an motion film, however this was not a film.”
Joseph mentioned a radical investigation can be performed into the taking pictures and to find out the suspect’s motive. He mentioned investigators would additionally have a look at how Husein, a convicted felon, obtained the firearm utilized in Wednesday’s taking pictures.
He mentioned the police sergeant was anticipated to outlive his accidents.
Standing behind a picket podium, chatting with a row of stories cameras and reporters, Joseph declined to reply questions on the usage of a patrol car to finish the gun battle, citing an ongoing investigation.
“We all the time are hoping for a peaceable decision to each incident like this,” he informed reporters. “At each second of that car pursuit, the suspect had the choice of pulling over and surrendering.
“We used ways which might be normal to attempt to get this individual into custody safely,” he added, ”and sadly that isn’t the result that we had.”
Joseph mentioned the taking pictures dropped at an finish a four-day crime spree throughout Sacramento, San Benito and Santa Clara counties.
He mentioned the crime spree started on Jan. 17 when the suspect stole a pink Corvette from a dealership in Sacramento. Later that day, he mentioned, he robbed a comfort retailer at gunpoint in one other metropolis, adopted by a second armed theft at a San José liquor retailer.
He mentioned the suspect dedicated three extra robberies the next day. At the least a kind of was in San José.
Joseph mentioned the division bought a break Wednesday when a license plate reader flagged the placement of the Corvette, prompting a police response.
“San José officers situated the car and engaged in a quick pursuit,” he mentioned, “earlier than shedding the car and finding it unoccupied shortly thereafter.”
At 2:01 p.m. that day, San José police obtained a name about an armed carjacking at a dealership within the 900 block of Capital Expressway.
“The suspect brandished a firearm to an worker, stole a inexperienced Corvette and fled the scene,” Joseph mentioned.
Shortly after, he mentioned, a police helicopter noticed the car touring south exterior of San José and continued following, offering real-time updates to native police businesses.
Hollister cops and San Benito County sheriff’s deputies had been notified when the car entered their jurisdiction and tried to cease the car. However a slow-speed pursuit adopted that resulted in an officer-involved taking pictures.
“The suspect fled and was situated once more the place a second officer-involved taking pictures occurred,” Joseph mentioned. He didn’t disclose the placement of the second taking pictures.
He mentioned the suspect’s car turned disabled, prompting him to carjack a passing car at gunpoint earlier than fleeing town of Hollister.
Joseph mentioned no officers or deputies had been injured within the officer-involved shootings.
“The suspect then fled northbound again in direction of San José. Officers from a number of businesses pursued the suspect as he drove at excessive speeds on the freeway, endangering motorists whereas trying to evade seize,” Joseph mentioned. “Because the suspect reentered our metropolis, San José police items assumed management of the pursuit on metropolis streets.”
He mentioned the suspect crashed right into a car that was stopped on the intersection the place the gun battle unfolded.
“I can’t think about the braveness it takes to run in direction of a state of affairs like that and never away from it, however thank God they ran towards it,” mentioned San José Vice Mayor Pam Foley. “We’re grateful for his or her service and for the sacrifices they and their households make, and we stand firmly in help of the San José Police Division and all of our first responders.”
San José Police Sgt. Steve Slack, president of the San José Police Assn., reward the actions of the injured officer.
“The unimaginable bravery exhibited by each officer, particularly the SJPD sergeant who was shot and hospitalized with a cranium fracture after confronting the harmful felony, was on full show yesterday,” he mentioned. “The injured sergeant is in good spirits, and we’re supporting him and his household in each approach we are able to.”
