Man sentenced to 50 years in prison for 2023 shooting of off-duty officer in San Marcos

 SAN MARCOS, Texas — A 25-year-old will spend the next 50 years in prison for the 2023 shooting of a police officer in San Marcos.

The incident occurred just after midnight on Aug. 26, 2023 when an off-duty police officer with Kyle PD was shot at a San Marcos apartment complex.

The off-duty officer called 911 and said he was working as a courtesy officer at the apartments when he approached then-22-year-old Joseph Sifuentes and a woman after hearing gunshots.

Sifuentes then pulled out a gun and fired two shots at the officer before fleeing to one of the apartments in the complex. He was later arrested by San Marcos police.

The officer who was shot was taken to the hospital, survived his injuries and resumed his duties.

During a court hearing for the case, the prosecution showed evidence that, in June 2023, Sifuentes had driven while intoxicated to Austin with other passengers in the car.

During that incident, he ran a red light before crashing into another vehicle, injuring several people. He then fled the scene and flashed a gun at a bystander.

The prosecution also brought up that, a little over a week before shooting the off-duty officer, Sifuentes pulled a gun on patrons at a restaurant who were waiting for a table.

Sifuentes, now 25, entered a guilty plea and agreed to let the court decide his sentence. Hays County District Court Judge Sherri Tibbe sentenced him to the maximum term of 50 years, emphasizing she wanted to keep the community safe from Sifuentes.