Man arrested after standoff at San Jose jail
A fourhour standoff early Wednesday morning in the parking garage of San Jose’s Main Jail ended with the surrender of a man who seized a police officer’s gun and fired multiple rounds, authorities said.
The suspect, who barricaded himself inside a patrol car, was taken into custody just before 6 a.m. at the jail on West Hedding Street, said Deputy Jessica Gabaldon, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 1:39 a.m., a San Jose police officer pulled into a parking garage to book 40yearold Joseph Castro into the jail on unspecified charges, Gabaldon said. Castro was handcuf
fed in the rear of the patrol car but managed to break into the rear cargo area of the vehicle and grab the officer’s firearm.
The officer, who has not been identified, tried to restrain Castro, who managed to fire several shots toward the officer.
The officer, who was not hit, moved to a safe location and called for help, according to the Sheriff’s
Office, which operates the jail. Deputies evacuated the parking garage, sealed its entrance and exit and called in tactical and negotiating teams. Officers from the San Jose and Santa Clara police departments, and the California Highway Patrol, also rushed to the scene.
Castro, who never left the patrol car, continued to fire rounds, Gabaldon said. Authorities took him into custody at 5:48 a.m. No one was injured in the incident, officials said. Castro was expected to be booked on numerous felonies.
Several streets in the area of the jail were shut down during the standoff.