A terrible, sobering story is breaking out of Oakland, CA tonight -- though most news outlets are working to confirm, KCBS-TV in San Francisco is reporting four Oakland police officers were shot and killed in broad daylight today. The first two were slain during a routine traffic stop; the second two in a shootout hours later with the suspect, who was also killed.
The first shooting occurred around 1 p.m. in the 7400 block of MacArthur Boulevard in which two motorcycle officers were struck with gunfire as they made a traffic stop.
That shooting led to an intense manhunt by dozens of Oakland police, California Highway Patrol officers and Alameda County sheriff deputies. Nearby streets were roped off and an entire area of east Oakland shut to traffic.
About 3:10 p.m., a SWAT team confronted the suspect barricaded inside an apartment building close to location of the first shooting. Gunfire was exchanged between the two parties, fatally wounding two more officers, and killing the suspect.
News is coming out slowly tonight from Oakland, no doubt in part to keep events from spiralling out of control overnight. (Rioting, you'll recall, almost got out of hand in the days after the Oscar Grant/BART police shooting.) A very tense situation will undoubtedly ensue over the course of the weekend and into next week. If there has been a deadlier day for US police officers since 9/11, I can't think of it.
Please update the comment thread with information you find as the evening goes on, and be sure to link it up. Please also keep comments respectful. I would like to extend my condolences to the families of the slain officers and to the city of Oakland on a very difficult night.
UPDATE 1 @ 9:09 pm PDT -- The acting Oakland police chief just reported three officers were slain, a fourth is in "grave" condition, and a fifth officer was grazed by a bullet and has been released from hospital. The suspect had an extensive criminal record and outstanding warrants.
UPDATE 2 @ 9:40 pm PDT The Oakland Tribune is filling in details and context...
OAKLAND — In the most horrific day of Oakland Police Department history, three police sergeants were shot to death by the same gunman within two hours of each other. A fourth officer involved in a second shooting with the suspect also was wounded and is in extremely critical condition Saturday night.
The three veteran officers killed were all sergeants: Erv Romans, 43, , Dan Sakai, 35, and Mark Dunakin, 41, police said. This was the first time that any sergeants in the department have been slain. Officer John Hege, 41, of Concord is on life support at Highland Hospital. A fifth officer was grazed by a bullet. He was treated and released from the hospital.
The suspect is identified as Lovell Mixon, 27, of Oakland who was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, has not been released (sic), police said. He had no-bail warrant for her arrest for violating parole. He has prior convictions in Alameda County for grand theft and possession of marijuana.
The incident represents the highest number of police officers ever killed in the line duty on the same day in Oakland. [snip] The last time an Oakland officer was killed was in 2004 when William Seuis, 39, who died in a hit-and-run crash. In addition, Gabe Guider and Wendell Troyer were the last two officers who died on the same day in the line of duty in a helicopter crash in 1974.
UPDATE 3 @ 9:56 pm PDT -- KCBS is standing by its reporting that the fourth officer reported to be in "grave" condition has also died. I'll keep the headline as is until official word comes out.
Police would only confirm the deaths of three of the officers at a Saturday evening news conference, but other officials including the governor and city attorney said all four had died. In addition, high-ranking police sources confirmed all four officer deaths to CBS 5.