By Khalida Sarwari
A 21-year-old man has been charged with one count of murder for the shooting death of Daniel Booker in downtown San Jose early Saturday morning.
Walter Hughes, of San Jose, also faces an enhancement for use of a firearm, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
A court document released today reveals that five police officers and one sergeant heard the shooting of the 27-year-old San Jose resident at the intersection of Santa Clara and Second streets at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
Officer Ruben Chavez allegedly heard and witnessed Hughes pull out a handgun, shoot Booker and then flee east on Santa Clara Street, according to the document.
Officers chased Hughes into a courtyard between 75 and 87 E. Santa Clara St. and arrested him while two off-duty medical professionals tended to Booker, according to the document.
Booker was taken to Regional Medical Center to be treated for a single gunshot wound, but he was pronounced dead an hour after he was shot.
A camera inside of the courtyard allegedly captured Hughes running down the stairs from where the shooting had occurred and hiding the gun in a dirt area near the stairs. He is allegedly captured taking off one of his shirts in an attempt to evade police and hiding in a corner of the courtyard, according to the document.
The officers caught up with him minutes later and took him into custody. They also seized his handgun from the courtyard.
The death marks San Jose’s 26th homicide of 2009.