Suspects held in slaying of Oakland police officer
OAKLAND, Calif. - Several arrests were made in connection with the fatal shooting of an Oakland police officer who was responding to a report of a burglary at a cannabis business last week and on Tuesday, KTVU learned the identity of one person who was booked on suspicion of murder.
Mark Sanders, 27, was booked early Tuesday on suspicion of murder and other felony counts in the Dec. 29 shooting death of Officer Tuan Le, 36.
Late Wednesday, Alameda County prosecutors charged Sanders with murder along with a special circumstance alleging he fired from a vehicle. That means if convicted, Sanders could potentially face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sanders was arrested with the help of the Livermore Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service San Francisco.
A second suspect, Allen Starr Brown, 28, was jailed on New Year's Day on suspicion of murder.
Sebron Russell, 30, was arrested early New Year's Day on suspicion of burglary.
Le was intercepting a burglary in progress at a cannabis business at Fifth and Embarcadero when he was shot, police said. Le was working undercover and driving in an unmarked vehicle when he was shot and killed by one of the suspects, Interim Police Chief Darren Allison said.
Court records from Contra Costa County and sources say Sanders, Russell and a third man were previously convicted of burglarizing an illegal marijuana grow house in Pittsburg. That third man is also being investigated in connection with the Oakland burglary.
Sources say Sanders also has a juvenile conviction for voluntary manslaughter in a deadly shooting in Oakland in 2014.
Sanders is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail. Alameda County prosecutors plan to review the cases against all the suspects.
Early Tuesday morning, an Oakland police lieutenant broadcast this message to officers on all radio channels: "Just wanted to advise everybody that the killer of Officer Tuan Le is in custody. Please take care of each one of you."
The Oakland Police Department did not confirm that specific arrest, but said several people had been arrested in connection with his death.
On Friday, sources confirmed with KTVU that at least two suspects were arrested in the burglary that preceded the death of Le.
Le graduated from Oakland Police’s 183rd Academy in 2020 and for the last two years served on the robbery detail.
Oakland native Keisha Henderson spoke fondly of the officer she had built a relationship with when she flagged him down one day a few years back.
"He treated everybody with a lot of respect," said Henderson, who knew Le when he patrolled her West Oakland neighborhood as a community engagement officer.
"There was an issue at my home, and he looked out for my house." Henderson recalled. "He requested more frequent patrols for our neighborhood, even though resources were very slim at the time."
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KTVU's Crystal Bailey and Mike Mibach contributed to this report.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan