San Jose police said a 38-year-old man opened fire into a crowded Alum Rock bar following a fight Sunday night. As he emerged from the bar, he pointed a handgun at police officers. One of them fired at him.
One person in the bar was wounded but is expected to survive, but no other injuries were reported. Police took Gabriel Lorenzo into custody in connection with the bar shooting.
Lorenzo was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose on several counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, Officer Jose Garcia said.
The 36-year-old officer, a 10-year veteran with San Jose police, who fired the shot at Lorenzo was not identified as of Monday afternoon.
The incident at Richard's Bar, at 1747 Alum Rock Ave. was first reported at 8:38 p.m., when bar security activated a silent robbery alarm following a brawl, Garcia said. Officers arrived and were speaking with the bar's security workers in the parking lot when they spotted a man walking back into the bar armed with a gun, Garcia said.
The bar security told officers the man had been involved in the earlier fight.
Officers then heard gunshots and saw a man walking out of a rear door armed with a handgun, Garcia said.
Police say the suspect refused to comply with officers' commands to drop the gun and pointed the weapon at officers.
"Fearing for his safety, one officer fired at Lorenzo," Garcia said.
"They see the guy come out with the gun in his hand," Garcia said. "One officer is yelling drop the gun, drop the gun."
The investigation revealed Lorenzo had been involved in a fight inside the bar earlier in the evening. Police say Lorenzo re-entered the bar and fired the gun at several patrons.
One person reportedly was struck by Lorenzo's gunfire and treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening gunshot injuries.
Per standard San Jose Police Departmental protocol, the homicide investigations unit responded to conduct the officer-involved shooting investigation. The officer who fired shots and the officer who witnessed the officer-involved shooting have been placed on routine paid administrative leave.
Lorenzo pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license in 2010, according to court records.
This incident marks the San Jose Police Department's third officer-involved shooting of 2012.
In March, a San Jose cop fired a gun at a 27-year-old man whom police say brandished a weapon at the officer on the 6100 block of Snowberry Court near Santa Teresa Boulevard.
In January, a San Jose SWAT officer shot and killed a man suspected of kidnapping an 11-year-old girl from her home. The man, Tri Truong Le, was still holding the girl when he fired upon San Jose police officers and was eventually shot and killed.
Anyone with information about Sunday night's shooting is urged to contact Sgt. Dave Gutierrez or detective Liz Checke of the San Jose Police Department's homicide unit at 408-277-5283.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867), or may visit:http://svcrimestoppers.org/ . Persons providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect may be eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869. Follow him on Twitter @MarkMgomez
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