As Sunnyvale officers struggled to arrest a suspect at a Motel 6 on Sunday, he fired his gun twice, shooting himself in the foot, authorities said.
At 12:12 a.m., two Sunnyvale Public Safety officers were conducting a security check at the motel on Mathilda Avenue and saw a suspicious vehicle, the department said.
When officers tried to search the car for weapons, they said two suspects, Paul Garcia and Kyllie Lawson, ran from them through the motel complex.
As Sunnyvale authorities were chasing Garcia, officers said they saw him reach into his waistband. To try and prevent him from potentially grabbing a weapon, one officer deployed a taser, hitting Garcia and causing him to fall.
However, while officers were trying to put handcuffs on Garcia, authorities said they saw he was holding a handgun. Garcia continued to resist arrest and officers struggled to gain control of him. Garcia was able to fire two shots during the struggle, shooting himself in the foot, authorities said.
As officers were struggling with Garcia, Lawson ran from the motel and attempted to leave by Uber, according to officials. She was found and arrested for a probation violation and several outstanding felony warrants.
Garcia’s foot was treated on scene and he was taken to a local hospital before being released into SDPS custody.
He was arrested for the attempted murder of a police officer and an outstanding felony warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm, authorities said.
Two Sunnyvale officers were mildly injured during the incident, but did not require medical treatment.
The investigation is ongoing and officials are asking anyone with information to call 408-730-7100.
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