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SAN JOSE — A naked man seriously wounded by police after a wild chase Friday was fired upon first after pointing a caulking gun at officers, then again out of fear he would drive into a crowded shopping plaza, authorities said Monday.

“They used that force because they wanted to save lives,” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference.

John Bradley Bowles, 53, remains hospitalized in critical condition at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday morning.

The shooting occurred Friday afternoon after Bowles allegedly chased a mother and her daughter while naked, then went on a four-mile tear through West San Jose in his pickup truck, ramming a police car and several other vehicles along the way, officials said.

Monday, police said the weapon officers reportedly saw Bowles carrying was not a gun, but rather a device used to apply caulking compound.

Meanwhile, several neighbors over the weekend described the ordeal and their shock over what Bowles allegedly did.

The first sign of trouble brewing surfaced around 1:30 p.m. Friday on Eva Court — about a block east of where San Tomas Aquino Road meets Fenian Drive near the San Jose-Campbell border — when Garcia said police were called for reports a naked man was “running after children in the area.”

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Darlene Barden, a longtime resident of the court, saw a similar sight from her home: Bowles “running around kind of nutty and naked in the middle of the court.’’ She said he was running back and forth to his truck and yelling, and at other points repeatedly entered and emerged from the home where he was believed to be renting a room.

Another neighbor, who asked not to be named out of safety concerns, said his wife, daughter and his daughter’s friend pulled into their driveway, and when they got out of their car, saw the naked man fast approaching and immediately ran across the street to San Tomas Park. By that point, other witnesses had called 911.

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Barden said when an officer arrived, Bowles got into his truck. She said she watched as he three times tried to reverse straight out of the court, but the patrol car was parked next to a Chevrolet truck, partially blocking his path. But Bowles eventually floored the pickup, sideswiping and heavily damaging the Chevrolet, also hitting the police vehicle.

Bowles apparently drove about four miles north, primarily on Lawrence Expressway, where he caused “multiple vehicle collisions,” Garcia said. The truck then turned east onto Stevens Creek Boulevard, in front of the Villa Shopping Center, according to police and witnesses at the location.

Police said the seriously damaged truck rolled halfway into the parking lot, then came to a stop. Garcia added that Bowles did not comply with officers’ commands and “aimed what appeared to be a weapon at the officers,” spurring one to shoot at the truck. They would only learn afterward it was a caulking gun.

Bowles then reportedly revved the engine and appeared to be trying to move the truck, prompting two more officers to open fire.

“Officers fired their weapons at the suspect out of fear that he was going to enter the crowded parking lot and strike innocent people,” Garcia said. “A total of three officers fired at the suspect, striking him several times.”

Witness James Shaw said he heard at least 12 rounds, and saw an officer fire at the disabled pickup from about 25 feet away.

Bowles was booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony evading, misdemeanor annoying and molesting a child, and misdemeanor hit and run, and remains in the custody of the hospital under police watch.

The episode took Bowles’ neighbors entirely by surprise. He was a generally elusive presence, but came off as polite. He apparently worked in construction — he does have a contracting-related license, according to state records — and said he was working at the site of the new Apple “spaceship” headquarters.

Barden said Bowles “seemed normal” and “tried to be friendly.” The neighbor whose wife and daughter encountered him Friday gave a similar characterization, recalling an instance when Bowles helped him back out his trailer from his driveway.

But this neighbor also noted a separate conversation where Bowles told him, “I’ve had some problems with cops. They took all my guns,” and that he was trying to get them back.

Garcia said he did not have information readily available about whether police ever confiscated any weapons from Bowles, but he did say that Bowles had a “prior history” of mental illness. A search of court records did not turn up a criminal history in Santa Clara County.

The three veteran patrol officers who fired were placed on paid administrative leave as an investigation was launched by SJPD homicide detectives and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which is routine after an officer-involved shooting. It was the first such shooting of the year in San Jose.

The officers were identified Monday as Todd Ahyo, William Wolfe and Erick Enderle, who have 24, 22, and 21 years of police experience, respectively.

Garcia said all three officers had body-worn cameras during the encounter, but that any public release of that footage would be decided by the district attorney after the completion of the shooting investigation.

Anyone with information about the case can contact contact homicide Detective Sgt. Mike Montonye or Detective Jason Tanner at 408-277-5283, or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP or svcrimestoppers.org.