Kevin Nishita

Third suspect in custody in killing of retired Bay Area police officer Kevin Nishita

Kevin Nishita’s widow joined Oakland Police as they made the announcement Tuesday morning

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A third suspect is in custody in connection with the shooting death of retired Bay Area police officer, Kevin Nishita.

U.S. Marshals arrested Laron Gilbert in Kansas City, Missouri on Jan. 17.

But it wasn’t until Tuesday that authorities could have Gilbert extradited back to the Bay Area.

He was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin Tuesday afternoon. 

Kevin was shot and killed in November of 2021.

He was providing security for a TV news crew in Oakland when a car pulled up with three people inside.

Two got out and tried to rob the crew.

One of them shot Kevin and he died a few days later in the hospital.

On Tuesday, the lead investigator in the homicide case says they believe Gilbert was driving the car.

Police arrested the other two suspects, Shadihia Mitchell and Herschel Hale, in 2021.

They’ve been searching for Gilbert ever since. 

“We never stop. We go as far as we need to go whether it’s Missouri, whether it’s New York, whether it’s San Leandro. As long as there’s suspects still out there, we’ll keep looking for them,” said OPD Sgt. Nicole Allen, the lead investigator on the case.

Kevin’s widow, Virginia stood with investigators as they made today’s announcement.

“I just want to say thank you from Kevin, my family and myself. Thank you to the Oakland Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, and all of the law enforcement agencies that were involved with this capture. Thank you to the community in Oakland and elsewhere that helped and thank you to the media as well, for keeping it alive,” she said.

All three suspects face murder charges.

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