Police identify officer who fatally shot man

Authorities say person was wanted in connection with an attempted homicide

FREMONT >> Authorities on Friday released the name of the Fremont police officer who shot and killed a man wanted in connection with an attempted homicide, as well as the man’s name.

The officer was identified as Jesse Hartman, a nine-year veteran of the Fremont Police Department. The suspect was identified as Kevin Victor Johnston, 22, of Hayward.

The victim of the attempted homicide, a 25-year-old man, remained in critical condition.

Hartman shot and killed Johnston just after 6 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Auto Mall Parkway and Southlake Common. At a news conference later that evening, acting police Capt. Eric Tang said Johnston matched the description of a suspect in a shooting about 45 minutes earlier at the Southlake Mobile Home Park.

“During the interaction between the person who matched the description of the shooter and the officer, the officer fired his service weapon at the suspect,” Tang said. Officers provided first aid to the suspect, who Tang said was armed with a handgun.

Police have yet to release any information about the circumstances that led Hartman to shoot Johnston. In a statement Friday, police said additional details would be released in the coming days.

The Fremont Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office are conducting separate investigations into the shooting.

There have been four police shootings in Fremont this year.