San Jose: Man convicted in ambush shooting of police officer during domestic violence call

SAN JOSE — A jury has convicted a man of attempted murder after he shot and seriously wounded a San Jose police officer last year in the middle of a domestic violence callout to his downtown-area condominium complex, authorities said.

Gabriel Mario Carreras was found guilty of attempted murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling — both felonies — and misdemeanor assault in connection with the Aug. 16, 2023 encounter near Auzerais Avenue and Race Street.

The wounded officer, Erin Allen, testified at the eight-day trial that began last week and ended Thursday morning with the reading of the jury’s verdict, which also included not guilty findings for charges of assault with a deadly weapon and witness intimidation.

The attempted murder and shooting convictions are related to the attack on Allen, while the assault conviction is related to the family disturbance in which Carreras attacked his wife after reportedly finding out she was pregnant.

Carreras faces a prison sentence of between 30 and 55 years to life as a result of the convictions.

The morning of Aug. 18, Allen and another officer went to the residential complex for a report from Carreras’ wife that he was drunk, tried to punch her and broke down a bathroom door, all while telling her to terminate her pregnancy, according to police reports.

As the officers tried to get through a locked gate, they saw an open second-floor door to a balcony and called for the people involved in the confrontation to come outside. Carreras reportedly emerged and fired a single shot from a .38-caliber pistol at Allen, hitting her just below her bulletproof vest.

Allen’s partner pulled her to safety, and a four-hour standoff ensued, during which Carreras fired two more shots inside the condo unit. About an hour later, the woman who called police exited the residence with the gun in her back pocket; she told police that Carreras had passed out and dropped the gun by his side, giving her an opportunity to disarm him and leave to safety.

The woman later told police that Carreras pulled a handgun from a bag he had begun packing, prompting her to lock herself inside a bedroom. After she heard the first gunshot, she claimed Carreras blamed her for his actions, including his admission that “he shot and may have killed a cop.”

Allen spent nine weeks in the hospital, during which she had several surgeries to treat injuries to her intestine, colon, liver and gall bladder, as well as a spine fracture. She remains off duty as she recovers from her injuries, according to the police department.

The gun Carreras used was unregistered; he was prohibited from having firearms because of a 2005 felony conviction of assault with a deadly weapon and participating in a criminal street gang.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.