By Leslie Griffy
The San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A driver looking to escape the dead-end road he had turned on during a chase charged his car toward a pair of California Highway Patrol officers, who shot back early on Easter morning just north of downtown San Jose.
No one was seriously injured in the incident, and no suspects have been arrested. But one officer was struck and fell to the ground, but was able to get up and shoot at the fleeing car, CHP officer Brandie Dressel said.
His partner also shot at the car. They fired several rounds, striking the car repeatedly, Dressel said.
The car was headed north on Highway 87 without its headlights on when the officers first attempted to pull it over at around 2:30 a.m. The driver pulled off the freeway in an attempt to flee and the officers gave chase, Dressel said.
The driver turned from Taylor Street onto San Pedro Street and then made a right turn onto George Street, which dead-ends. There, the officers got out of their patrol car to talk with the driver, who turned his car around and gunned it toward the officers. That’s when the pair opened fire.
It is unclear whether anyone was hit or how many people were in the car. Because the case is still under investigation, Dressel declined to give a description of the car.
The hubbub woke residents in the quiet neighborhood, just blocks from the San Jose police department’s headquarters.
Rob Souza, who lives on San Pedro near George, said he heard sirens and a series of shots.
“Have you ever
heard the fireworks on Chinese New Year?” he asked. “It sounded like that.”
After the shooting, the CHP asked San Jose police to help find the car and any of its occupants, police Sgt. Mike Sullivan said. Officers blocked off access to the area and searched the nearby neighborhood but were unable to the car or any suspects. Officers stayed at the intersection of George and San Pedro through this afternoon.
San Jose police are investigating the incident as an assault on an officer with deadly weapon, and the CHP will conduct a routine probe into the officers’ use of force.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call San Jose police department’s homicide unit at (408) 277-5283.
Copyright 2008 San Jose Mercury News