Police chase man amid shootout on California street; the police officer was injured, the suspect died

A gun battle on the streets of a Northern California city this week was captured on disturbing video – a scene of violence that a police chief likened to an “action movie” that no one wanted to see actually happen.

The San José Police Department has identified the suspect who stole the car in the middle of the incident, who shot and wounded a police officer during a shootout before being run over by a police cruiser that shot and killed him.

The shooting marked the end of a four-day spree by the suspect in two counties that included armed robberies, carjackings, car chases and shootouts with police, San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a press conference Thursday afternoon, the day after the incident.

“It involved at least six law enforcement agencies, which followed the suspect in many places as he put many members of the public at risk as gunfire continued in many cities,” said Joseph.

The police chief identified the suspect as Mohamed Husien, 30, a resident of Davis. Husien was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting, captured on video by helicopters and witnesses, erupted Wednesday afternoon after the suspect crashed his car near Julian Street and Notre Dame Avenue, near Highway 87 and seven blocks from City Hall.

The videos posted on social media show the suspect dodging a police cruiser trying to run him down before he opened fire on the police officer and charged him.

In the videos, the suspect fires his weapon into the back of a police cruiser while the officer puts the bullet back into the driver’s seat before it goes backwards.

“The suspect continued to move around [officer’s] the patrol car when it fired towards him,” said Joseph.

He said that this police officer who was recently promoted to the rank of sergeant continued to shoot even after being hit by a bullet and bleeding from the head.

A number of passengers got into a fight, which ended with the armed suspect – who was trying to hijack a car parked on the road – being hit by one of the police officers.

Joseph said the suspect continued to move and was still armed with an illegally loaded gun with an extended magazine which led the police to shoot him dead.

“This was an incident that none of us ever wanted to witness in real life,” he said. “It’s the kind of video people would expect from an action movie, but this wasn’t a movie.”

Joseph said that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the shooting incident to determine the cause of the suspect. He said the investigators will also look into how Husein, who was convicted, got the gun used in Wednesday’s incident.

He said the police sergeant is expected to survive his injuries.

Standing behind a wooden platform, addressing a line of news cameras and reporters, Joseph declined to answer questions about the use of a patrol car to end the gunfight, citing an ongoing investigation.

“We always hope that all incidents like this will be resolved peacefully,” Joseph told reporters. “Every second after the car chase, the suspect had the opportunity to get out and surrender again.

“We used standard tactics to try to arrest this person safely,” he added, “and unfortunately that was not the result we had.”

Joseph said the shooting ended a four-day crime spree in San Benito and Santa Clara counties.

He said the crime spree began on January 17 when the suspect stole a red Corvette from a dealership in Sacramento. Later that day, he said, he robbed a convenience store at gunpoint in another town, followed by a second robbery at a liquor store in San José.

He said the suspect committed three more crimes the next day. At least one of those was in San José.

Joseph said the department got a break on Wednesday when a license plate reader flagged the location of the Corvette, prompting the police to respond.

He said: “San José police found the car and gave it a brief chase, before losing the car and finding it unoccupied soon after.”

At 2:01 pm that day, San José police received a call about an armed carjacking at a shopping center in the 900 block of Capital Expressway.

“The suspect pulled a gun on the employee, stole a green Corvette and fled the scene,” said Joseph.

Soon after, he said, a police plane spotted a car traveling south outside of San José and continued to follow, providing real-time updates to local police stations.

Hollister Police and San Benito County sheriff’s deputies were notified when a vehicle pulled into their lot and attempted to stop the vehicle. But a low-speed chase ensued that ended with a police officer being shot.

“The suspect fled and was found at the scene of the second police officer involved in the shooting,” said Joseph. He did not disclose the location of the second incident.

He said the suspect’s car was disabled which led to him hijacking a passing car at gunpoint before fleeing the town of Hollister.

Joseph said no officers or deputies were injured in the shooting.

“The suspect then fled north back to San José. Police from multiple agencies chased the suspect as he drove at high speed on the highway, endangering drivers as they tried to escape arrest,” said Joseph. “When the suspect entered our city, the San José police took over the streets of the city.”

He said the suspect hit a car that was stopped at the intersection where the gunfire broke out.

“I don’t see the courage it takes to run away from a situation like this and not get away from it, but I thank God they ran into it,” said San José Vice Mayor Pam Foley. “We deeply appreciate the service and sacrifices they and their families are making, and we strongly stand by the San José Police Department and all first responders.”

San José police Sgt. Steve Slack, president of the San José Police Assn., praised the actions of the injured officer.

“The incredible courage shown by all the police, especially the SJPD sergeant who was shot and fractured in the hospital after confronting a dangerous criminal, was on full display yesterday,” he said. “The wounded sergeant is in good spirits, and we support him and his family in every way.”