On April 20, 2021, at approximately 8:36 pm, Oakland Police Department (OPD) officers responded to the area of 54th Avenue and East 8th Street to investigate the reports of a man armed with a rifle. Once on scene, officers contacted victims, who advised that the suspect was pointing the firearm in their direction and threatening to kill them. The victims stated they heard gunfire as they left the area.
Officers located the individual hiding under a vehicle armed with a stolen assault-style rifle. Officers established communication and safely took the suspect into custody and recovered the firearm along with 10 high-powered rifle rounds.
“Our officers are encountering these types of firearms every day,” says Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong. “These firearms were created for places of war and our residents are dealing with them being fired in our neighborhoods. To date, our officers have recovered 318 firearms. That’s nearly three a day. This should cause all of us serious concern.”
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (510) 238-3326.
#OPDCARES initiative is about working together as a community to help stop the tragic loss of life and reduce the level of violence in our city. Collectively, we want to ensure Oaklanders and our visitors are safe in our community. When there is a loss of life in Oakland, it impacts us all.