The San Jose Police Department has offered a $10,000 reward in hopes of discovering any information related to a Sunday evening shooting that targeted two officers in what investigators are calling an attempted homicide.
At about 7:35 p.m. Sunday, the two officers were on foot patrol in the area of Luby and Ripley Drives when they attempted to contact a group of men, police said. The group fled, and one of the men turned and fired several rounds at the officers.
The shooter was not identified or located, but San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia assured the public and his force Monday that justice will be served.
"We will find the individual involved in the shooting (Sunday) night and we will search the ends of the earth if need be," he said.
Lt. Eddie Pedreira said the two officers, who were not struck by the bullets, acted accordingly.
"They did find cover. The officers did not have a good field of fire, so they did not, rightly so, return fire, as we do not practice shooting indiscriminately," Pedreira said. "Even when someone is shooting at us, we have to ensure there's a proper and safe backdrop, unlike the suspect who randomly shot several rounds ."
The suspect is described as an adult male in his 20s, 6 feet tall, 160 to 180 pounds, clean shaven, wearing a black and gray Pendleton shirt with a white T-shirt underneath and dark pants.
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Sunday's shooting came just hours after a Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy was fatally shot execution style.
The constant threat of violence against law enforcement has put Sean Pritchard, a member of the San Jose Police Officers Association, on edge.
"We've had an absolute breakdown in society when someone uses a firearm to try to kill a police officer," he said.
Garcia echoed a similar sentiment and acknowledged that life in a patrol car comes with intense stress.
"It's in the back of (officers') minds every day," he said. "They come to work. They know this is a dangerous job, but they have a duty to protect the community."
Sunday's shooting marks the first time since March that someone has fired directly at San Jose police. Back in March, a man opened fire on three officers who were making a stop near Meridian Avenue. That suspect was wounded in a firefight with law enforcement personnel and later arrested for attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the recent San Jose shooting is asked to call 911 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867.
