SAN JOSE — Authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of three teenagers in connection with a traffic stop earlier this week in San Jose that led to one officer being injured and another firing his handgun.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle, while a second 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to San Jose police spokesperson Stacie Shih. They were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
A pair of patrol officers initially stopped an SUV for an unspecified vehicle code violation around 2:55 a.m. Monday in the area of North 21st and Santa Clara streets.
“As officers exited their patrol vehicle to make contact, the suspect drove the SUV in the direction of one of the approaching officers and struck that officer with the vehicle,” Shih said.
The second officer fired a single round from his police department-issued handgun and the SUV left the scene, Shih said. None of the suspects were hit by the gunfire.
Shih said the officer who was struck by the SUV suffered injuries, but they were not life-threatening.
Using automated license plate reader cameras, officers found the SUV unoccupied in the area of Lucretia Avenue and Tully Road, Shih said. The SUV was later confirmed to be an unreported stolen vehicle.
Within minutes, a rideshare driver flagged down officers to report an attempted carjacking in the 2300 block of Balme Drive, Shih said, adding that the suspects in the attempted carjacking matched the description of the suspects in the initial incident.
Shih said officers found the suspects hiding in the area and took them into custody.
The officer-involved shooting is the city’s fourth of the year, Shih said. The officer, who was not identified Thursday, has 1½ years of experience with the police department.
The SJPD Homicide Unit and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting. In addition, the SJPD Internal Affairs Unit, City Attorney’s Office and Office of the Independent Police Auditor are reviewing the incident.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact Sgt. Ivan Barragan at 4106@sanjoseca.gov, Detective Mike Harrington at 4365@sanjoseca.gov, or both at 408-277-5283.