Oakland

Fatal Police Shooting Sparks Protest in Oakland

A 24-year-old man shot by police Wednesday afternoon after a pursuit and alleged carjacking attempt in West Oakland died at a hospital from his injuries, authorities said.

The fatal shooting sparked a protest that started in the area of 27th Street and Martin Luther King Way in Oakland. Posts on social media show that at least 100 people gathered in the area at 8 p.m. to protest the officer-involved shooting.

By 8:40 p.m. the crowd began marching through the city. A live stream of the rally showed demonstrators burning a Confederate flag while marching through Oakland streets and disrupting traffic.

As the crowd continued marching through Oakland, some people from the group were seen on the live stream burning trash cans and disrupting traffic along the way.

At around 10:15 p.m., video from the NBC Bay Area helicopter showed protesters blocking lanes on Interstate 980 near Interstate 880 in Oakland. Police responded to the area to clear the traffic jam.

Earlier in the day, Oakland Police Officer Johnna Watson said officers spotted a vehicle believed to be connected to a previous armed robbery at 2:39 p.m. in the area of 69th Avenue and International Boulevard.

The officers attempted to pull the driver over, but he fled, leading police on a pursuit through Oakland city streets. An Oakland police helicopter tracked the car during the pursuit, Watson said.

The pursuit lasted about seven miles until the suspect crashed into another car on 27th Street between Northgate Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Watson said.

The suspect ran from the car and, armed with a gun, tried to carjack another driver, Watson said.

Arriving officers confronted the suspect, who reportedly advanced towards them with the gun. Three officers opened fire, striking the suspect, according to Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent.

One of the officers attempted life-saving measures using a department-issued trauma kit. The suspect was subsequently taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Whent.

The gun carried by the suspect was later determined to have been a loaded 9 mm pistol. It is listed as stolen, according to Whent. Police do not believe the suspect fired his weapon during the confrontation.

Police said all three officers were wearing body cameras, which were activated during the incident.

The suspect's name has not yet been released, and police are identifying him only as a 24-year-old Oakland resident, according to Watson.

The three officers involved in this afternoon's shooting have been identified only as a 7-year veteran, a 6-year veteran and a 1-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, according to Whent.

Wednesday's incident is the Oakland Police Department's third fatal officer-involved shooting in 2015, and the department's fifth officer-involved shooting overall, Whent said.

The Oakland police homicide and internal affairs units are investigating the shooting along with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

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