Union City: Woman shot by BART officer remains hospitalized, was wanted in two cases involving weapons and threats
UNION CITY — Ten days after a BART Police officer shot her while she allegedly attempted to drive away with the officer trapped in the window frame of her car, a local woman remains hospitalized pending a transfer to jail, court records show.
Jasmine Gao, 32, has not yet been charged in connection with the Nov. 18 incident, but she does have two active misdemeanor cases that could keep her in police custody even after she’s released from medical care. Despite both cases being misdemeanors with relatively low bails, Gao has had active arrest warrants for failing to show up to court in both matters, records show.
The warrants may explain Gao’s alleged actions the day a BART officer shot her. Police say they pulled over Gao’s dark-colored two-door sedan near the Union City BART station for having expired registration. At some point during the traffic stop, they say Gao snatched her ID out of an officer’s hand and attempted to drive off.
When the officer — who has not yet been publicly identified — reached through Gao’s open window, she allegedly closed the window, trapping the officer in the frame, and hit the gas pedal. The officer shot her at least once and the car came to a stop, authorities said.
Gao’s two pending cases both involved accusations that she brandished a weapon. First, in March 2023, she was arrested for allegedly using a knife to smash the window of a pickup truck, causing an estimated $3,000 to $5,000 in damage, according to court records.
Then, in November 2023, Gao allegedly brandished a large metal pole at a woman outside of a Taco Bell while screaming death threats. Both incidents happened in Union City, and in both cases prosecutors charged her with misdemeanors.
Gao had been released from custody in both matters, but failed to show up in court, resulting in bench warrants being issued for her arrest. Had police searched her name during the traffic stop, she likely would have been arrested, according to court records.
Gao’s lawyer has already filed a motion to have her released from custody in the misdemeanor cases, but also informed the court that she remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The matter has been put over to February, and prosecutors are expected to consider assault charges against Gao in connection with the police shooting incident well before then.