Police union says large crowd attacked officers in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A crowd of more than 50 people attacked San Jose Police early Saturday morning, a police union said.

"Officers got punched in the head. There were struggles with officers while four were being arrested. It was chaos," said Paul Kelly, president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.

San Jose police confirmed that multiple officers were issuing citations for drinking alcohol in public at the open lot on Market and Santa Clara streets when a large, unrelated crowd approached the officers.

Peter Be saw the altercation from his business across the street and said "for the most part I think it was just drunk people acting irrational."

Kelly said the commotion started when a man pulled out a gun and San Jose Police tried to arrest him.

"The restrain and the composure that those officers had to have on scene not to get into a shooting taking him into custody without that individual or an officer being shot is incredible," said Kelly.

Around 60 police officers were reported on scene.

Jesus Torres witness the crowd getting bigger as officers built a perimeter to control the scene.

"I didn't see them punching, I just saw them pushing. I did see them taking out their batons. I know a couple people did get hit with the batons," said Torres.

Four people including the individual with a gun were arrested.

The police union is also pushing for the passage of U.S. Senate Bill S. 1480, also known as the "Back the Blue Act," to protect officers making any assault towards them a federal crime.