Deadly Oakland Shootings Leave 3 Officers Dead And Another Clinging To Life – Video Added
Mar 21, 2009 20 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Oakland shootings leave three officers dead, one gravely wounded
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger calls this a ‘tragic day for law enforcement’ and orders flags flown at half mast. The suspect in this afternoon’s shootings was also killed.
By Maria L. LaGanga and Cara Mia DiMassa
Reporting from Los Angeles and Oakland — In a blow to the Oakland Police Department, four officers were shot — three fatally and the fourth gravely wounded — during two incidents this afternoon that began with a routine traffic stop, Oakland authorities said.
City Atty. John Russo said tonight that he had been told all four were dead, but Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan said one of the officers was in grave condition. . The suspect was killed in the gunfire.
“It’s senseless,” Russo said. “We didn’t lose four officers in the earthquakes or the worst of the fires. You want to find a meaning in it. It underscores what a difficult job it is to be a police officer.”
Late Saturday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger saluted police bravery and sacrifice and ordered flags flown at half mast in the capital.
“This is a tragic day for law enforcement officers everywhere. All four officers dedicated their lives to public safety and selflessly worked to protect the people of Oakland,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement tonight. “Maria and I join the Bay Area in remembering their service and honoring their sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost, the Oakland Police Department and law enforcement officers throughout California during this difficult time.”
Two motorcycle officers were shot during the traffic stop at 1:16.p.m. on MacArthur Boulevard in east Oakland. A man stepped out of the car and fired at the officers before fleeing into the neighborhood, authorities said.
After the first shooting, police launched a “very extensive manhunt” for the suspect, Thomason said. Police then received an anonymous tip that a possible suspect was barricaded inside a nearby apartment building.
About 3:20 p.m., officers tracked the suspect down at a building along 74th Avenue. SWAT officers entered the building. Russo said the suspect fired at officers through a wall with a high-powered rifle, hitting two of them.
SWAT officers “returned fire in defense of their lives,” said acting Police Chief Howard Jordan.
The four officers were taken to Highland Hospital.
“We are not searching for anybody else right now,” Thomason said. He added that the investigation is ongoing and that authorities were still trying to notify family members. “This is a highly sensitive situation we’re dealing with,” he said.
This was the first time since 1970 that four law enforcement officers perished at one time in California. That year four California Highway Patrol officers were killed in a shootout in Newhall on a freeway offramp.
The shootings today occurred along MacArthur Boulevard near the Eastmont police substation, where pawn shops, check-cashing stands and storefront churches line the street. Tonight, the area was still cordoned off with yellow police tape. Residents had to show identification before police would allow them to return to their homes.
Germaine Jackson, 23, who lives nearby, said he was at home when the shootings occurred.
“I came outside and I heard probably 10 gunshots,” Jackson said.
Unfortunately, he said, gun violence is not uncommon in his neighborhood. “I don’t feel safe at all,” he said. “You don’t know who will shoot you.”
Yolanda Johnson, 58, was working at a pawn shop on MacArthur when she heard the shots.
“I’ve been working here for 18 years,” she said. “This area is pretty bad and it’s not getting better. It’s so sad that happened to those officers.”
K. Lowe, 40, who was walking his pit bull two blocks from the crime scene, said he was not surprised by the brazen shooting.
“It’s a hot spot,” he said. “This is just another day in the ‘hood. It’s sad, but what can you do? It’s a doggone shame.”
Yolanda Johnson, 58, was working at a pawn shop on MacArthur when she heard the shots.
“I’ve been working here for 18 years,” she said. “This area is pretty bad and it’s not getting better. It’s so sad that happened to those officers.”
K. Lowe, 40, who was walking his pit bull two blocks from the crime scene, said he was not surprised by the brazen shooting.
“It’s a hot spot,” he said. “This is just another day in the ‘hood. It’s sad, but what can you do? It’s a doggone shame.”
Standing nearby with officers, City Councilwoman Desley Brooks, whose district includes the Oakland area where the officers were gunned down, said her heart was with their relatives.
“Our prayers go out to all of the families of all the officers,” she said. “They do such a tremendous service. And I can’t even find words beyond what I have just said.”
The officers’ deaths saddened law enforcement officers throughout the state.
“We join our fellow police officers in praying for the families and friends whose hearts ache for their lost loved ones,” Paul M. Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said in a written statement. “The murder rampage today in Oakland should serve as a reminder that every day police officers bravely protect our families, friends, and neighbors from crime.”
The last death of an on-duty Oakland police officer was in 2004 when William Seuis, 39, was killed in a hit-and-run crash on motorcycle patrol. Another officer, William Wilkins, 29, was mistakenly shot by two rookie officers in 2001 while he was on undercover patrol.
Police agencies in Oakland have been wracked with controversy in recent months.
A few weeks ago, Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker left the department in the wake of criticism. Tucker announced his resignation in late January as the City Council — frustrated by rising crime and negative publicity — planned to call for a vote of no confidence.
Tucker, who served as chief for more than four years, was blasted for his management of the department and his missteps in the investigation of the murder of journalist Chauncey Bailey.
Earlier this year, racially-tinged riots erupted in Oakland as a result of a shooting by another police agency. An on-duty transit police officer was seen on videotape shooting an unarmed man in the back at the Fruitvale BART station. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, who is white, was charged with murder in the death of Oscar J. Grant III, who is black.
CNN:
Three police officers dead in Oakland shootings
Three Oakland, California, police officers who were wounded in two shootings Saturday afternoon have died, authorities said.
The suspected gunman also was killed, police said. A fourth police officer remained in critical condition, police said.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said flags at the Capitol will fly at half-staff to honor the fallen officers.
“This is a tragic day for law enforcement officers everywhere,” he said in a statement. “All four officers dedicated their lives to public safety and selflessly worked to protect the people of Oakland.”
Police received a call around 1:15 p.m. reporting two officers down on MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said.
A manhunt was under way for the shooter when an anonymous caller directed authorities to a building on an adjacent street where the gunman was believed to be barricaded, Jordan said.
The gunman opened fire, wounding two more officers before police returned fire, killing the suspect, Jordan said.
The four officers were taken to Highland Hospital, Officer Jeff Thomason said.
Police said they were investigating whether others were involved in the incident, but don’t believe there is another shooter.
Aerial video from the scene off East 27th Street in Oakland showed crime-scene investigators blocking off a a portion of a street, and a sidewalk smeared with pools of blood.
Law enforcement swarmed store fronts and lawns near the shooting scenes.
