Man charged with assault after firing officer’s holstered gun during struggle

Suspect was later alleged to have a ‘ghost gun’ and evidence of cocaine dealing in his car

SAN JOSE >> A man described by authorities as a San Jose gang member has been charged with assault after he fired an officer’s holstered gun in a traffic stop struggle, with the bullet only shredding some uniform pants and grazing a leg before he was ultimately arrested.

Rodel Pulido, 22, has been charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer in connection with the Friday night altercation on Avelani Avenue near the intersection of King and McKee roads, according to the Santa

Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Police and prosecutors say officers stopped a car for an unspecified traffic violation at about 6:40 p.m., and that Pulido refused their orders to get out of his car. He reportedly got out once other officers arrived for backup, but continued to “act suspiciously and be uncooperative,” and appeared to make several phone calls while in line of sight of the officers.

Soon after, they said, the officers noticed people start to gather around, and decided to handcuff Pulido, which sparked a struggle that lasted more than a minute as officers unsuccessfully tried to subdue him.

At one point, prosecutors said, Pulido got a hold of an officer’s pistol, still in its holster, and fired a round. The bullet reportedly went through the officer’s pant leg, then ricocheted and grazed another officer’s leg.

Officers then used a Taser three times on Pulido, after which they were able to arrest him. Initially, police did not disclose that the injured officer was hit by a bullet, but prosecutors announced Tuesday that the officer was grazed and was treated at the hospital for a lower right thigh injury and released.

A subsequent search of the Pulido was driving led to the seizure of a .40 caliber “ghost gun” — a firearm assembled from prefabricated parts that make it difficult or impossible to trace — 46 grams of cocaine, a scale, and a large amount of cash, according to police and prosecutors.

Pulido is expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon on the assault charges as well as drug and weapons crimes related to what was seized from his car, prosecutors said. They did not specify what violation he was suspected of when he was initially stopped.