Off-duty East Palo Alto cop robbed in Walnut Creek
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - James Fortune was sworn in as an East Palo Alto police officer in 2020. During the ceremony, he proudly held up his badge.
But at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fortune reported that his badge was taken at gunpoint by three men near North Main and Bonanza streets in downtown Walnut Creek. A second man was also held up. One of the victims was pistol-whipped.
The holdup happened just down the street from the Walnut Creek Police Department.
"One of the victims was an off-duty officer," said Walnut Creek police Lt. Bruce Jower, who did not identify the officer nor his agency.
Jower said the officer did not draw any weapon, and no gun was taken from him.
"I believe this act was random," Jower said. "I don't think they had any intent to target a law enforcement officer."
The three robbers took off in a stolen Lexus. Walnut Creek police found the car in Oakland with the help of Oakland police and arrested two suspects, Elias Alcorn, 19, and Daymonee Johnson, 18. Stolen property and a weapon possibly used by the suspects was recovered.
KTVU has learned the off-duty officer was Fortune, who joined the East Palo Alto police in 2020 after working for two years as an Oakland schools police officer. The East Palo Alto police declined to comment Wednesday.
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"Everyone is susceptible to being a victim of any crime. So it's important not for just regular citizens but also off-duty officers to be aware," Jower said.
Citizens expressed concern that a police officer became a victim of crime.
"When you have somebody who's in law enforcement that is vulnerable to being robbed, what chance does, you know, a guy on the street have now?" asked Mike Gallagher of Orinda as he walked with his wife in downtown Walnut Creek.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan