Man shoots, kills San Jose officer who was checking on him

A man who shot and killed a San Jose police officer responding to a call that he was threatening to commit suicide was found dead on his apartment balcony early Wednesday.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN JOSE — A man threatening to commit suicide unleashed a barrage of gunfire on San Francisco Bay Area officers called to check on him, killing a 14-year veteran of the San Jose Police Department in what the mayor is calling the city's "darkest hour."

Scott Dunham, 57, fatally shot Officer Michael Johnson Tuesday night, launching an hourslong manhunt for the gunman and forcing nearby homes to be evacuated. The search ended when Dunham was found dead early Wednesday on his apartment balcony, San Jose police spokesman Albert Morales said.

Police had no communication with the suspect between the time Johnson was shot about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday and when Dunham was found dead more than eight hours later, at 3:20 a.m. Wednesday. It was unclear if he killed himself or died when officers returned fire. He may have been dead the entire time, police said.

Police Chief Larry Esquivel said at a news conference early Wednesday that it was difficult to pinpoint Dunham's motive or mindset.

"It's unfortunate that this person had the nerve, the audacity, to shoot at our officers that were responding to a call for service, for assistance," he said.

Officers approaching Dunham's San Jose apartment building were met with gunfire. After Johnson was shot, authorities swarmed the area in search of the shooter. Officers, armored vehicles and a helicopter came from neighboring law enforcement agencies and the California Highway Patrol.

The last San Jose officer killed in the line of duty was Jeffrey Fontana, who was shot during a vehicle stop in 2001. That gunman, DeShawn Campbell, was convicted in the case.

Coincidentally, both Johnson and Fontana were in the same police academy class.

Johnson is the 12th officer to be killed in the San Jose Police Department's 166-year history and leaves behind a wife, who was out of town at the time of the shooting, police said.

Mayor Sam Liccardo expressed sympathies to Johnson's family, telling reporters: "This has been San Jose's darkest hour."

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