San Jose Police Officers found to have lawfully shot and killed homicide suspect
SANTA CLARA COUNTY — The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has announced the clearing of two officers who attempted to arrest a wanted murder suspect, but in the fight fired several shots, killing the suspect.
Deputy District Attorney Lance Daugherty said, “Two San Jose police officers were attempting to arrest a murder suspect when they lawfully shot and killed the 29-year-old San Jose man as he pulled a gun on them.”
Matthew Castillo and two others were identified as the suspects who had entered a local San Jose tech business, killing one man. “Taking the totality of the evidence, it appears that Matthew Castillo had no intention on being arrested, even if it meant his death at the hands of the police,” Lance Daugherty stated. Officer Michael Jeffrey and Officer Vidal Fonseca were found to have acted with bravery when confronting Castillo.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, “On August 13, 2015, at approximately 12:50 am, three men – including Castillo – invaded a business complex on Lundy Avenue.” It was during the brazen robbery invasion that a worker, 38-year-old Christopher Wrenn, was shot and later died from his wounds at the scene. The shooting marked the city’s 19th homicide of 2015.
Three days after the shooting, on August 16, 2015, the San Jose Police Department’s Covert Response Unit located Castillo at the Capitol Inn Motel in San Jose. Keeping an eye on the murder suspect, officers followed him to a laundromat, located on Senter Road. That is when three San Jose Police officers attempted to arrest him.
According to Daugherty, “Castillo started walking away from the officers, pulled a handgun and pointed it at one of them.” This caused Officers Michael Jeffrey and Vidal Fonseca to fire several rifle rounds at Castillo, wounding him. However, he again tried to evade officers as he raised a semi-automatic handgun at the officers causing them to fire again and killing him.
“The day after Castillo’s shooting, San Jose officers located and – during his arrest – shot and killed Richard Jaquez, 40, a second suspect in the Wrenn murder,” Daughtery said. “That shooting is still under review by this Office. Duane Aguero, a third suspect in the murder, was arrested on August 27 and awaits trial.”
