SAN JOSE -- A San Jose police officer was shot and killed Tuesday evening -- the first line-of-duty death in 14 years -- while responding to a call reporting a suicidal man, who apparently ambushed him and other officers with shots from a high-powered rifle, authorities said.
The slain officer, whose identity was not immediately released, was the 12th SJPD officer killed in the department's 166-year history.
After the attack, a massive police detail consisting of dozens of officers and the MERGE (SWAT) unit swarmed the area of Senter and Umbarger roads to find the gunman, and nearby homes were evacuated. Officers and equipment -- including armored vehicles and a helicopter-- were summoned from neighboring police agencies, including the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale police, and the California Highway Patrol.
A San Jose police officer was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with a suspect Tuesday night. (Josie Lepe / Mercury News)
Police said they had surrounded a building in the 2600 block of Senter Road as of about 9:30 p.m. An exchange of gunfire was also reported in the area.
Residents were advised to shelter in place shortly before 8:30 p.m. as the search intensified. Traffic was completely blocked on Senter Road from Feldspar Drive to Lewis Road.
Dozens of people were gathered near the scene despite the shelter-in-place order, watching as police helicopters circled overhead during the search.
San Jose officers were initially called at 6:48 p.m. for reports of a man with a gun threatening to kill himself. As the officers strategically approached the apartment building on Senter Road, they were fired upon without warning, possibly from a balcony. Sources say the shooting suspect was believed to be a man in his 50s who lives in the building.
An outpouring of grief flowed from both members of the public and law enforcement agencies throughout California and across the nation Tuesday night. Hundreds of social media users sent their condolences to San Jose police through the department's Twitter account.
The last San Jose police officer killed in the line of duty was Officer Jeffrey Fontana, a rookie cop who was shot to death during a high-risk vehicle stop in South San Jose on October 28, 2001. Before that, in October 1999, Officer Desmond Casey died after the police helicopter he was piloting crashed.
San Jose police were searching for a suspect who shot an officer Tuesday night. (Josie Lepe / Mercury News)
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