SJPD sergeant in 'good spirits' after being shot in head; slain suspect identified

SJPD Sgt. shot by carjacking suspect emerges from hospital

The SJPD sergeant, who was shot by a carjacking suspect in San Jose on Wednesday, emerges from the hospital, able to walk away after initially being listed in critical condition. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police on Thursday said one of their sergeants is in good spirits and has since been released from a hospital after being shot in the head by a gunman during a multi-city shooting spree that ended with officers killing the suspect.

San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said Thursday that the sergeant, who was recently promoted, is expected to make a full recovery.

In a social media post by SJPD, they identified the sergeant only by his last name, Silva. They said he was back home with his pups" and they were hoping for his speedy recovery and thanked Valley Medical Center for his care. Chief Joseph said Silva's dogs were taken to him at the hospital for comfort. Mayor Matt Mahan said, on the day Silva was shot, the first thing he said at the hospital was to make sure someone takes care of his dogs. 

Suspect identified 

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Mohamed Husien of Davis, California, was killed by police during the crime spree that ended on Wednesday.

"Coming this close to losing an officer is a nightmare," Joseph said during an afternoon news conference on Thursday.

A weekend of violence

The backstory:

According to Joseph, the violence began Jan. 17 when Husien allegedly stole a red Corvette from a Sacramento dealership. Later that day, he allegedly committed an armed robbery at a convenience store in another jurisdiction before hitting a liquor store on McKee Road in San Jose.

The spree continued the following day with two more armed robberies, one on the Peninsula and another on Coleman Road in San Jose.

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San Jose police sergeant shot, suspect killed after pursuit

A San Jose police sergeant is in critical but stable condition, and a suspect is dead following a multi-county chase tied to an armed carjacking on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Pursuit across counties

What we know:

On Wednesday, the San Jose Police Department’s Real Time Intelligence Center flagged the stolen Corvette using automated license plate readers. After a brief chase, officers lost sight of the vehicle, but a police helicopter tracked it 50 miles south to Hollister.

In Hollister, local officers and San Benito County sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop Husien. After his car broke down, authorities say Husien opened fire on officers and deputies before stealing another vehicle and fleeing back toward San Jose. Along the way, he allegedly fired at California Highway Patrol officers.

FULL PRESSER: SJPD on police shooting that wounded sergeant, killed suspect

The San Jose Police Department provided an update on a police shooting that left one of its sergeants wounded and a suspect dead.

The final shootout

Dig deeper:

The pursuit ended near San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose. Police said Husien crashed into a patrol car and began shooting again, striking a San Jose police sergeant. Another officer struck the suspect with a patrol car to stop the shootout, police said.

"The suspect continued to circle the sergeant’s patrol vehicle while firing at him from only feet away," Joseph said. "Bullets hitting the vehicle as [the] sergeant returned fire while bleeding from the head."

Husien attempted to steal a police cruiser and then fled on foot toward another occupied car before he was shot and killed by officers. He was armed with a handgun that had an extended magazine.

The sergeant suffered a fractured skull from the gunshot wound.

Video of the shootout circulated widely on social media Thursday, showing the chaotic scene in San Jose.

"This was a scene none of us want to see in real life, of an action movie," Joseph said.

The downtown area remained cordoned off for hours. Motorists caught in the crossfire described diving for cover as bullets flew. Witness Raymen Lopez, who returned Thursday to retrieve his vehicle, said the experience was traumatic.

"It’s one of those things you wish you could not have in your memory," Lopez said. "I was just ducking. I didn’t want to get hit by a stray bullet, but it’s the world we live in."

Late Wednesday, the wounded sergeant was released from the hospital to roaring applause from his colleagues, walking out with a bandage wrapped around his head.