Shocking video shows the moment an armed carjacker was mown down by a police car after dodging bullets in a wild shootout with an officer and attempting to steal his cruiser.
The deceased suspect, wanted for a series of California car thefts, sparked a police chase that spanned 80km on Wednesday after first stealing a vehicle from a dealership in San Jose just after 2pm, KRON4 reports.
San Jose Police said the male suspect entered the dealership on Capitol Expressway with a firearm, carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled the area.
A police helicopter tracked the car south to San Benito County, where the suspect was involved in a shooting with the Hollister Police Department.
“The suspect fled that immediate area and San Benito deputies located the suspect in the area of Buena Vista Road and Line Street, where there was an additional officer involved shooting,” Hollister Police said.
“The San Benito Sheriff’s Office reports that their deputies are also uninjured.
“The suspect fled again and carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint and fled the City of Hollister. The suspect fled towards San Jose northbound and engaged the California Highway Patrol with more gunfire, firing out the window of his vehicle.”
The suspect then crashed into another car at Julian and 87th streets, San Jose Police said.
He jumped from his car exchanged gunfire with SJPD officers, injuring a sergeant.
When he attempted to flee in another stolen car, he was struck by a police vehicle and declared dead at the scene.
His identity has not yet been released.
The sergeant was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was in a stable but critical condition, the SJPD said.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan wrote on X on Wednesday night, “Chief Joseph told me that the first thing our officer said when he got to the hospital was, ‘make sure someone takes care of my dogs’. That’s the kind of person he is. That’s the kind of people we have on our @SanJosePD force.
“People who put their lives on the line to protect our families during the day, and then go home at night to take care of their own families. I had the opportunity to visit our officer soon after he arrived at the hospital.
“I told him and his family that my thoughts are with them and my prayers tonight will be for a full and fast recovery.”