Investigators say the suspect fired at a sergeant from only feet away before officers opened fire near Julian Street; the wounded sergeant left the hospital Thursday.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A dayslong robbery and carjacking spree that began with a stolen red Corvette in Sacramento culminated Wednesday, Jan. 21, in a deadly gun battle in downtown San Jose, where officers shot and killed the suspected gunman after a crash and foot chase. A San Jose police sergeant was shot in the head and survived.
The case is drawing intense review because it crossed city and county lines, involved multiple shootouts and unfolded in a busy commercial district. Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Muhammed Hussein of Davis. A department helicopter, highway patrol units and local officers coordinated as the suspect moved from San Jose to Hollister and back. City officials said the quick return to the urban core forced split-second decisions as bystanders scattered. The wounded sergeant, a 13-year veteran, was released from the hospital Thursday and is expected to recover from a skull fracture.
According to police, the spree started Saturday, Jan. 17, when a red Chevrolet Corvette was stolen from a Sacramento dealership. Investigators linked the car to robberies in East San Jose and on the Peninsula over the weekend. By Wednesday, license plate readers pinged the Corvette in San Jose, but officers briefly lost contact before finding it unoccupied. Around 2 p.m., a man armed with a handgun carjacked a bright green Corvette at Capitol Chevrolet on Capitol Expressway. Air and ground units tracked the car about 45 miles to Hollister, where deputies reported two exchanges of gunfire after the driver got out holding a weapon. The man fled in another vehicle and headed back north.
Police said the return to San Jose ended near Julian Street and Notre Dame Avenue just before 4 p.m., where the suspect struck a stopped vehicle and jumped out. As an arriving sergeant stepped from his patrol SUV, the man charged and fired multiple rounds, hitting the sergeant in the head. “Only a person with a warrior spirit could fight through an encounter like that and live,” Chief Paul Joseph said. Officers returned fire as the suspect circled the patrol vehicle. The man tried to take the SUV, then ran and attempted to carjack another car. Officers fired again as a patrol unit struck him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No civilian injuries were reported.
Officials said three sergeants and six officers took part in the final encounter, all with cameras activated. The department’s homicide unit is leading the criminal investigation. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent review of the shooting, and internal affairs will examine policy compliance. Under state transparency rules, critical-incident video is expected to be released within 45 days. Detectives are mapping shell casings, bullet paths and vehicle impacts, and are seeking additional surveillance footage along Capitol Expressway, U.S. 101 and city streets downtown.
Prior incidents tied to the suspect include armed robberies at a liquor store on McKee Road and another theft reported on the Peninsula, according to police briefings. Investigators have not announced charges related to those earlier crimes and say it is unknown whether the suspect had any direct connection to San Jose. The cross-county pursuit required coordination among San Jose police, the California Highway Patrol, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office and Hollister police. City transportation crews rerouted buses, and officers cordoned off blocks around the crash, delaying commuters as crime scene technicians collected video from storefronts and nearby garages.
On Thursday, Vice Mayor Pam Foley praised officers and paramedics who “ran toward danger,” adding that the city would cooperate fully with outside reviews. Downtown workers described a barrage of shots echoing off buildings. A delivery driver said he ducked behind his van as cruisers flooded the intersection. By evening, investigators had reopened streets as tow trucks cleared damaged vehicles, including the green Corvette taken at gunpoint hours earlier. The sergeant’s peers visited the hospital, where colleagues said his spirits were good.
As of Friday, police said the active scene has closed and evidence review continues. The next public step is a critical-incident video release within the state’s 45-day timeline, followed by written findings from prosecutors and the independent police auditor.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.