Thirty-three-year-old man had been in violent fight with family before attack on police officer
A police officer shot and killed a man Friday night after the man attacked him on the side of Pacheco Pass Highway, sheriffs said.
At 7:38 p.m., a male police officer was headed westbound on Highway 152 west of San Felipe Road when the officer saw 33-year-old Gurmit Singh lying partially on the road, Sheriff’s Sgt. Dalia Rodriguez said. The officer stopped to help Singh, who grew violent and attacked the officer.
The officer drew his gun and shot Singh, Rodriguez said. Singh was airlifted to San Jose Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead “several” hours later.
Singh, who is not from California, was involved in “a very violent altercation with his family members prior to being dropped off on the side of the road,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez would not provide details of the attack, claiming their secrecy was important to the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Highway 152 was closed down for at least two hours while law enforcement investigated the incident.
The officer, who was not injured in the attack, has been placed on administrative leave while the Gilroy Police Department conducts an internal investigation – protocol for an officer-involved shooting – Rodriguez said. Neither the sheriff’s office nor Gilroy police would release the officer’s name.
The shooting was the second major attack on a police officer in three months. In mid-November, Pete Joseph Valdez III pulled a gun on Gilroy officer John Ballard and pulled the trigger multiple times, police said. The gun jammed and Ballard, with the assistance of another officer, managed to wrestle Valdez into submission.
Valdez has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer – which carries a life sentence – among other charges and is next scheduled to appear at the South County Courthouse Feb. 22.
