Violent night in Oakland: sideshows, deadly shootings, armed robbery
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland and the East Bay erupted in violence on Saturday night, starting with two deadly shootings and ending with the Bay Bridge shut down by sideshow spectators around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
In the span of four hours, four people were shot in Oakland, and three of them died.
Two were killed and another injured at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 23rd Street around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Then, one more person was killed around 8 p.m. in East Oakland on E Street.
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, sideshows started in the East Bay. The group stopped in San Pablo, where hundreds watched, some even climbed freeway signs and nearby trucks.
They also stopped in Richmond, where police said they were able to deploy stop sticks to deflate tires and intercept three cars. Those vehicles were impounded for 30 days and the drivers were cited for reckless driving and released.
The sideshow activity continued in Oakland on Hegenberger Road and Edgewater Drive. Video shows a red Mustang losing control and crashing into the crowd, running over a woman.
It wasn't long until hundreds of cars blocked the westbound side of the Bay Bridge for a sideshow there.
the CHP told KTVU everyone took off once they arrived. They tried to pursue some cars but stopped the chase when it got unsafe. No one was arrested.
"At one point there were two helicopters up, an airplane up, multiple perimeters were set up because activities were taking place in this city, and people should not be living in this condition. I mean we’re under siege by criminals," said Sgt. Huy Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association.
Featured
Gunfire erupts at Oakland sideshow, neighbors grow frustrated with leadership
An East Oakland neighborhood erupted into gunfire early Saturday morning amid an hour-long show, and neighbors say police were nowhere to be found. Residents expressed fear that the next time, stray gunfire might enter an area home and hurt someone.
Nguyen said the city's lack of police staffing means there just aren't enough resources to keep people safe, especially on such a busy night.
There were also multiple burglaries and a TV news crew was robbed at gunpoint. Their guard's gun was taken, as well as the camera and their belongings.
"Everybody looks at our city like that’s the city that we do not want to be like, and that’s something that we have to get away from," said Nguyen.
He said there needs to be more police officers, but instead, the city is telling the department to work harder with less.
"We went from over 800 officers to 712, currently we have 690 and pushing for 678. That’s not the pattern that we should be pushing for," said Nguyen.
Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo agreed the city needs more police. He wants to take it a step further, calling in both state and federal agencies like the FBI, US Marshals and National Guard.
"Those of us at the political (side) make excuses and tell the public how well we’re doing, but for those for us living in this challenge, we think you’re crazy. Come and live in my neighborhood, and you’ll see how easy it is," said Gallo.
Gallo said he receives calls from citizens all the time. One mechanic called him Sunday morning to say his auto shop was broken into overnight. He called the police but they never showed up. Now he plans to leave Oakland.
"The people that are doing a lot of the activity are not from Oakland, they’re coming from outside into Oakland because they can get away with it," said Gallo.
He said he wants to see criminals face consequences and laws enforced.
Another issue police have been asking city council to re-consider is the policy on chasing suspects.
There are restrictions on Oakland police about when they can chase someone. It has to be a "violent forcible crime." That means for a lot of felonies and any misdemeanors, they can't chase suspects.
Leaders like Gallo and Nguyen said criminals know this and that's why they come to Oakland.