Off-duty officer shot, expected to recover

An off-duty Kyle Police Department officer was shot at a San Marcos apartment complex on Saturday, according to police.

Following an investigation, Joseph Sifuentes, 22, was taken into custody and charged with attempted capital murder of a peace officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and obstruction or retaliation. He is currently being held in the Hays County Jail.

The wounded officer was transported to Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle and officials said he is listed in good condition.

The off-duty officer was working as a peace officer at Encino Pointe Apartments, on 1800 Post Road, at the time of the incident. The officer said he heard what he thought was either gunshots or fireworks and went to investigate. He said he approached a male and female outside of the building, when the male pulled out a firearm and fired two shots, striking the officer once. The officer was wearing a badge at the time of the incident. The officer discharged his weapon but Sifuentes was not shot, police said.

San Marcos Police stated that their officers were dispatched at 12:12 a.m., after initial emergency calls had reported multiple gunshots were heard near Building 13 of the complex.

Following those calls, the wounded officer called 911 and relayed that he had been shot. San Marcos Police Department officers arrived at the scene and initiated a search warrant, police said. At that time, police identified Sifuentes inside a unit at the apartment complex with several other occupants, and determined he matched the description given by the wounded officer. During the warranted search, officers stated they found a firearm alleged to have been used by Sifuentes.

Police said Sifuentes also faces additional charges related to previously issued arrest warrants, including charges in connection to assault on a family member and failure to identify–not giving one's name and date of birth after an arrest or giving false identifying information to an officer at any point.

The San Marcos Police Department is handling the investigation.