The San Jose police sergeant who was shot Wednesday following a multi-county pursuit is in “good spirits” but remains in the hospital for evaluation and treatment of his injury, authorities said.
The sergeant suffered a skull fracture, which required surgery, a source told NBC Bay Area.
It all started at a Chevrolet dealership on Capitol Expressway in San Jose, where police said the suspect, who is dead following a shootout with the city’s police department in the downtown area, stole a green Corvette at gunpoint.
From there, the suspect took off on a 45-mile drive to Hollister, where video shows the suspect getting out of the Corvette, and lifting his left arm into the air before gunfire was heard.
The suspect then took off again. This time in a car he hijacked, and he headed back to San Jose.
About two blocks from SAP Center, police said the suspect and officers fired shots.
But in the end, it appeared that the suspect was killed by a car.
“Suspect attempted to flee, attempted to carjack another vehicle when they were struck by a police vehicle. That suspect was declared deceased at the scene,” SJPD Sergeant Jorge Garibay said.
San Jose police have yet to say much about the suspect at this point, but witnesses had a lot to say about being caught near the scary scene.
“I was scared. I’ve never seen anything like that, so it was like a kind of don’t-know-what-to-do kind of thing,” they said.
Mayor Matt Mahan visited the San Jose police sergeant in the hospital and, in a statement, praised the officer for protecting the community.
San Jose police said they’ll have more information Thursday morning.
The San Jose police officers’ union told NBC Bay Area that they plan to speak as well.
