Oakland city worker fatally shot while walking dog, relatives say
Man shot and killed while walking dog in East Oakland hills
Jermaine Newton, 47, was shot and killed while walking his dog. His family tells KTVU he worked for the city of Oakland, helping to tackle illegal dumping.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A man was fatally shot while walking his dog Tuesday morning in the Oakland hills, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 6:15 a.m. on Leona Drive and Old Quarry Loop as the man was taking his dog for a morning walk through the neighborhood, according to the Oakland Police Department.
"Officers responded to the area on reports of a person down. When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound(s). The victim died at the scene," the department said.
Victim identified
What they're saying:
Relatives identified the victim as 47-year-old Jermaine Newton. They said Netwon worked for the city, tackling illegal dumping, but did not specify the department or agency. The City of Oakland has not confirmed whether the victim was a city employee.
"Jermaine was a pillar in our community. It's unfortunate what happened," said his cousin, Trevel Adanandus.
Newton's father, Frank Newton, said he didn't know why his son would be targeted.
"For someone to gun him down — I don't know if it was a robbery or if someone was just out to get him for whatever reason," the man said.
Newton was killed in an area just off Interstate 580, a community made up of a cluster of town homes and condos.
Police spent several hours at the scene gathering evidence. They have not released a motive or information about a possible suspect.
"My son, he wasn't a bad kid. He helped everybody he could," said Frank Newton. "He went from parks to illegal dumping, trying to keep the city clean."
The mother of the victim's 21-year-old son said he had persevered, despite some challenges.
"He was a great person. You took a real West Oakland legend away. He was a great father, always there for my son," the woman said.
The Source: This report is based on information from police along with interviews with relatives of the victim.