Details on harrowing San Jose hotel shootout revealed in police report

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — A domestic violence survivor and her three children were sheltering in a San Jose hotel when the abuser showed up with a gun. San Jose Police Department officers confronted the armed man in the hotel’s hallway, a harrowing shootout ensued, and the man jumped out a third-story window, according to a police report obtained by KRON4 on Monday.

The police report was filed in Santa Clara County court along with felony charges for the accused gunman, Kevin Angelo Briones. Prosecutors charged Briones, 33, of San Jose, with attempting to murder two SJPD officers.

The incident happened at Extended Stay America hotel at 6189 San Ignacio Avenue on the night of May 2. The domestic violence survivor was staying at the hotel with her children, ages 8, 10, and 15, investigators said. Briones and the woman were in a “prior dating relationship,” the police report states.

Emergency dispatchers received one 911 call reporting that Briones was on his way to the hotel, and another call reporting that he was knocking on the woman’s hotel room door.

When SJPD Officer DesRoches, Officer Castillo, and Officer Dodge arrived at Extended Stay America at 10:39 p.m., they found Briones in a narrow hallway of the third floor. “Briones was holding a skateboard, black duffle bag, and a black cell phone,” SJPD Det. Hans Jorgensen wrote.

Briones tried to walk away from the officers and they ordered him to stop. The man reached into his duffle bag and pulled out something wrapped in a teal T-shirt. Officer Dodge stayed behind guarding the women’s hotel room doorway. Castillo and DesRoches followed Briones.

“While Briones was running, the T-shirt he was holding fell to the floor. Briones turned … and extended his arms while holding a gun toward the officers. Briones fired eight rounds in the direction of Officer Arredondo and Officer DesRoches,” Jorgensen wrote in the police report.

Officer DesRoches fell on his back and fired 11 shots at Briones. “After a brief pause, Briones started to move toward the officers, and Officer DesRoches fired additional rounds at Briones,” Jorgensen wrote.

A bullet went through DesRoches’ leg. Arredondo was shot in the knee, leg, shoulder, and abdomen. “At the time of this report, Officer Arredondo has undergone life saving surgery and is in critical condition,” Jorgensen wrote.

Police Chief Paul Joseph said, “We had an armed, dangerous felon showing up in the middle of the night at a hotel room where this domestic violence survivor and her three children were. It's fortunate that our officers arrived in time to intervene. They took that harm … and not this domestic violence survivor and those children.”

Arredondo and Dodge never fired their weapons, the report states.

After the shootout, “Briones ran away from the officers toward a hallway glass window. The glass window was shattered. He jumped through the window, falling three stories to the ground,” the police report states.

Backup officers found Briones lying in a bush near the hotel. “Briones sustained gunshot wounds to his torso, liver, and right forearm. He also had a fractured neck and collapsed lung. At the time of this report, Briones is intubated with life threatening injuries,” Jorgensen wrote.

Officers combed the hotel for evidence overnight and into Friday morning. Detectives found a black Glock 9mm pistol with an extended magazine under the shattered window. The gun had been previously stolen in San Jose during an auto burglary, the police chief said.

Joseph said his officers saved the lives of three children and their mother. “It's clear to me that these lives were all in great danger, and the officers are the reason they survived this horrific and traumatic incident,” Joseph said.

The woman told investigators that Briones told her “that if the cops try to catch him, he is ready to shoot,” the police report states.

The critically-injured officer is expected to survive, the police chief said. SJPD told KRON4 on Monday that the officer is still in the hospital and listed in “critical but stable condition.”

Briones is a convicted felon, on active probation in Santa Clara County, and is prohibited from possessing firearms. If convicted of the new attempted murder charges filed against him, he could face a life prison sentence with possibility of parole.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.