Incident: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — San Jose, California. Details released by SJPD: Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A San Jose police sergeant was shot twice Tuesday evening after an armed robbery suspect crashed a stolen SUV, ran into a residential neighborhood south of downtown and forced his way into an occupied home, the San Jose Police Department said. Officers found the man hiding in a bathroom. He opened fire, and officers returned fire and killed him.
The wounded officer is Sgt. Matt Walsh, a 19-year veteran and the supervisor of SJPD’s MERGE unit, the department said. Walsh was struck twice, was initially listed in critical condition and was stabilized the night of the shooting, according to SJPD. The department identified the suspect as Anthony Chavez, 39, of Campbell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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A stolen Tahoe and two weekend robberies
A gold 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe was reported stolen on Aug. 16, SJPD said.
At about 2:20 p.m. Saturday, a man the department later identified as Chavez approached a person using an ATM in a bank parking lot and robbed them at gunpoint, according to SJPD. A second armed robbery followed at about 12:54 p.m. Sunday at a shopping center, the department said. Investigators connected both robberies to the stolen Tahoe.
Tuesday: 12:31 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.
Robbery detectives located the SUV near San Jose Avenue and Almaden Road at about 12:31 p.m. Tuesday, SJPD said.
At about 5:43 p.m., officers moved to block the Tahoe. Chavez drove off and displayed a handgun at officers as he fled, according to the department.
At about 5:48 p.m., he crashed the Tahoe into parked vehicles near Goodyear Street and Lick Avenue and ran on foot into the surrounding neighborhood, SJPD said.
At about 5:55 p.m., officers forced entry into a home in the 400 block of Goodyear Street. A family was inside and had no idea Chavez had come in through the back, the department said. ABC7 News reported that a man, a child and a baby were escorted safely out of the home. Officers searched the house and found Chavez in a bathroom.
Officers deployed a flashbang before entering the bathroom, according to SJPD. Chavez fired first, striking Walsh twice. Walsh and a second officer returned fire, striking Chavez multiple times. Officers recovered a revolver at the scene, the department said.
Describing the point at which detectives understood who they were following, Police Chief Paul Joseph said: “At this point, detectives were not simply dealing with a suspect in a stolen vehicle.”
Paroled in October, back on the street in August
Chavez was convicted of four armed robberies in 2011 and sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2016, KTVU reported. He was re-sentenced and released on parole in October 2025. Within six months of that release, SJPD officers found him driving a stolen vehicle, the department said. NBC Bay Area reported his record also includes convictions for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, auto theft and narcotics offenses.
Joseph said Chavez was charged with new crimes while on parole and was released by a judge over the district attorney’s objection.
“Chavez should have been in custody, but instead he was out committing the robberies I mentioned, and he shot Sgt. Walsh,” Joseph said.
What has not been released
SJPD has not said how many rounds were fired by either side, has not identified the second officer who fired, and has not released a further update on Walsh’s condition beyond stabilized. The department has not said whether Chavez was armed with the same weapon used in the two robberies.
The investigation is ongoing. This story will be updated as SJPD releases more.
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