Accidental shooting occurs during ‘intense fight’ with suspects
By Rodney Foo
Mercury News
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The robbery suspects got more than they bargained for when they called a Domino’s and ordered three pizzas and two liters of soda—they got a San Jose cop posing as a delivery man.
But in what police say was an “intense fight” with three suspects, officer Geeno Gular was shot by a fellow officer, whose gun discharged accidentally during the alleged pizza robbery attempt. That officer was slightly injured.
In the end, two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery. One of the teens suffered a minor head injury, Sgt. Nick Muyo said Thursday.
Gular, a 13-year police veteran and an Army reservist who had been wounded in action overseas last year, was hit in the arm. Gular was treated at a hospital and later released.
His “spirits are good,” Muyo said. “He’s very lucky and I think he knows that. It could have been a tragic situation. Thankfully, he’s OK.”
Police did not disclose how the second officer’s gun went off by accident. Nor did police reveal the identity of that officer or how he received his injury, although Muyo said it was not from gunfire.
The shooting and the attempted robbery are both under investigation, Muyo said.
Police said Wednesday’s incident was related to another robbery that occurred two weeks ago but did not elaborate.
Muyo declined to confirm or deny an account that Gular was shot during an undercover operation in which an officer posed as a pizza delivery
Copyright 2007 San Jose Mercury News