SAN JOSE – A jury has convicted a person of attempted murder after he shot and seriously wounded a San Jose police officer during a domestic violence response at his downtown apartment complex last yr, authorities said.
Gabriel Mario Carreras was found guilty of attempted murder, shooting into an inhabited dwelling (each felonies), and assault in reference to the August 16, 2023 encounter near Auzerais Avenue and Race Street.
The wounded officer, Erin Allen, testified on the eight-day trial that began last week and ended Thursday morning with the reading of the jury's verdict. The verdict also included acquittals on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and witness intimidation.
The attempted murder and shooting convictions are related to the attack on Allen, while the assault conviction is said to the family dispute wherein Carreras attacked his wife after reportedly checking out she was pregnant.
Due to the convictions, Carreras faces a jail sentence of between 30 and 55 years to life imprisonment.
On the morning of Aug. 18, Allen and one other officer went to the apartment complex to take a report from Carreras' wife saying he was drunk, tried to hit her and broke down a toilet door, all of the while telling her to terminate the pregnancy, police reports say.
As officers attempted to enter through a locked gate, they saw an open second-story balcony door and ordered those involved within the altercation to come back outside. Carreras reportedly got here out and fired a single shot from a .38-caliber pistol at Allen, hitting her slightly below her bulletproof vest.
Allen's partner pulled them to safety, and a four-hour standoff ensued, during which Carreras fired two more shots contained in the apartment complex. About an hour later, the lady who called police left the apartment with the gun in her back pocket. She told police Carreras passed out and dropped the gun next to him, giving her the chance to disarm him and get to safety.
The woman later told police that Carreras pulled a gun from a bag he was packing, and he or she locked herself in a bedroom. After hearing the primary gunshot, she claimed Carreras blamed her for his actions, including his admission that he “shot and possibly killed a police officer.”
Allen spent nine weeks within the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries to treat injuries to her intestines, colon, liver and gallbladder, in addition to a fractured vertebra.
The gun utilized by Carreras was unregistered, and he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had been convicted in 2005 of assault with a deadly weapon and membership in a criminal street gang.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
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