Kevin Briones, 33, of San Jose, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after police say he shot and wounded two San Jose police officers responding to a domestic violence call at a South San Jose hotel on May 2, 2024. (San Jose Police Dept.)
SAN JOSE — Attempted murder charges have been filed against a man who police say shot and wounded two officers at a South San Jose hotel then tried to escape by leaping out of a third-story window, court records show.
Kevin Briones, 33, of San Jose, was arrested Thursday night, about a half hour after he allegedly shot the officers, who were responding to a domestic violence call involving a woman who had obtained a restraining order against him.
Briones, who was the subject of two arrest warrants at the time, was also shot and wounded when at least one of the officers fired back. He was formally scheduled to be arraigned Monday on two counts of attempted murder, but was not expected to appear in court because he remains in the hospital in critical condition with multiple injuries.
Officer Jamie Arredondo, a one-year member of the San Jose Police Department, was seriously injured after reportedly being hit multiple times by Briones’ gunfire. Arredondo, who was identified this past weekend by the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, is also in critical condition at a local hospital but is expected to survive.
Officer Joseph Desroches was identified by the union as the second officer who responded to the domestic violence call around 10:30 p.m. Thursday at the Extended Stay America on San Ignacio Avenue.
Acting Police Chief Paul Joseph lauded Desroches’ bravery at a Friday news conference, saying the officer pulled Arredondo to safety and had already applied a tourniquet on his partner before discovering that he himself had been hit by a bullet. Emergency dispatch recordings indicated that Desroches suffered a graze wound; he was treated at a hospital and released hours after the shooting.
According to San Jose police, a woman and her three children — ages 8, 10 and 15 — were staying in a third-floor room at the hotel. The woman had called police earlier in the night to report that Briones — against whom she had secured a restraining order — was heading their way. Police responded to the hotel, but Briones was not there, and they left.
Within an hour, police said Briones showed up, and the woman called the hotel front desk to report a disturbance, which was relayed to police dispatchers. Arredondo and Desroches arrived, went to the woman’s room, and saw Briones walking away. They ordered him to stay where he was. Briones apparently responded by reaching into a duffel bag he was carrying.
As the officers ordered him to stop reaching into the bag, police said Briones pulled out a stolen 9mm pistol and opened fire at them. One of the officers fired back and hit Briones, who kept shooting as he ran away and then plowed through a plate-glass window and fell three stories. He was arrested after reportedly trying to hide in some bushes after crawling to the grounds of a neighboring hotel property.
This is a developing report. Check back for updates.
Originally published at Robert Salonga