California police bodycam footage captures homicide suspect firing at motorcycle officer

Authorities in California released police body camera footage Friday showing an attempted homicide suspect firing on an officer before he was fatally shot.

Joshua James Gloria, 34, an Oakland resident, was killed March 24 after he opened fired on Fremont police officer Brian Burch after a short car chase, police said. 

Burch, a six-year veteran of the department, was working traffic enforcement on a police motorcycle when he was alerted that a vehicle had activated a license plate reader camera nearby. 

The vehicle was reported stolen and allegedly used in an armed robbery in San Francisco, police said. Burch found the car and followed it into a shopping center parking lot and ordered the driver to pull over.

The driver, identified as Gloria, took off and pulled over a short time later on the shoulder of State Route 84. He fled on foot and opened fire on Burch, prompting the officer to leave the bike and run down a nearby embankment. 

As Gloria attempted to steal the police motorcycle, Burch fired his weapon. Gloria ditched the bike and ran toward his vehicle when he was struck by gunfire and died. The officer was not hit. 

Joshua James Gloria
(Fremont Police Department )

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The San Jose Police Department said it had an arrest warrant for Gloria for attempted homicide and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was wanted for allegedly shooting someone multiple times at an illegal gambling hall. 

The victim survived, despite being hit in the back of the head while on the ground, police said.