UPDATE: 5 Oakland Police Officers Shot and 4 Killed as Fourth Officer succumbs

[SFStateStudent]

Two Oakland Motorcycle Officers made a ROUTINE (no such thing as a routine traffic stop!) traffic stop and were shot by the motorist they stopped. The SWAT team was making entry into the apartment where the suspect was barricaded and two SWAT officers were shot. UPDATE: All four of the officers have died. The suspect was killed. Sad day for Oakland P.D.....:(

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6722148

UPDATE: Four Oakland Police Officers have died, and one was treated and released after a bullet grazed his head.....:(

My condolences to the families, friends, Oakland P.D., and fellow law enforcement officers....

[me_94501]

Sounds like 3 of the 4 died, and the fourth is in grave condition:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/21/BAVB16KU75.DTL

Horrible. :(

[SFStateStudent]

Sounds like 3 of the 4 died, and the fourth is in grave condition:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/21/BAVB16KU75.DTLHorrible. :(

I hear ya'. Channel 5 KPIX was reporting that all four had died, but it hadn't been confirmed by OPD. I missed the Oakland Mayor's Press Conference, but I'll check it out online....

[gauchogolfer]

I have a cousin in Oakland PD that I'm waiting to hear is OK...

[SFStateStudent]

Confirmed, the Mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums announced that all four officers have died....


Suspect: Lovell Mixon, 27

-Extensive criminal history
-Was wanted on a no-bail warrant for violation of his parole, which he was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon.

KTVU is still reporting three officers killed: "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."

[me_94501]

Seems to be some conflicting reports, but from: http://cbs5.com/local/shooting.officer.oakland.2.964784.html ...

Acting Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan would only confirm the deaths of three of the officers at a Saturday evening news conference and said a fourth was in grave condition, but the governor's office said all four had died. In addition, high-ranking police sources had also told CBS 5 that four officers were killed.

11 PM news is on in about 10 minutes here, so we'll probably know more soon...

[SFStateStudent]

Seems to be some conflicting reports, but from: http://cbs5.com/local/shooting.officer.oakland.2.964784.html ...

11 PM news is on in about 10 minutes here, so we'll probably know more soon...

Yeah, I've noticed that, but now Channel 5 KPIX is reporting on television that three officers are dead, one officer is clinging to life, and one officer was grazed in the head, treated and released from the hospital.

[BittenApple]

I live (away from college) five blocks away from where this happened. East Oakland is indeed a Wild Wild West. Get some cops put in front of a very desperate person and they'll make sure they'll bust a cap.

[yoppie]

Horrible news. They should go ahead and string up the suspect.

The Oakland PD has had a rough beginning to 09, they've had to deal with the fallout from the fatal shooting of an unarmed man and now they're dealing with losing four of their own. I hope they're able to get as much help as they need.

[skunk]

Horrible news. They should go ahead and string up the suspect.Sad as the news may be, I very much doubt that stringing up the suspect will help.

[yoppie]

Sad as the news may be, I very much doubt that stringing up the suspect will help.

True. I just don't think he deserves to be breathing when he's responsible for 3 or 4 (depends on the news report) officers not being able to do so.

[skunk]

True. I just don't think he deserves to be breathing when he's responsible for 3 or 4 (depends on the news report) officers not being able to do so.Offering death as a solution does not exactly give the right message.

[velocityg4]

Offering death as a solution does not exactly give the right message.
Since the suspect is dead this is a hypothetical. Given his crimes he could never be released so why should taxpayers have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain this guy in prison for the rest of his life? When a length of rope is only a few dollars.

The money saved could be used to save many innocent lives in third world countries. It could be spent on research. Or for a reduction in taxes

[.Andy]

Since the suspect is dead this is a hypothetical. Given his crimes he could never be released so why should taxpayers have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain this guy in prison for the rest of his life? When a length of rope is only a few dollars.

The money saved could be used to save many innocent lives in third world countries. It could be spent on research. Or for a reduction in taxes
Because that's barbaric and society is no longer that cowardly.

[SFStateStudent]

Sounds like the suspect was not going back to prison, except on death row. The recidivism rate is rather high for persons that use weapons while committing crimes, and the current policy for US prisons is punish, deter and lock 'em up and throw away the key, which only adds to their re-incarceration...:eek:

UPDATE: Fourth Officer dies from gunshot wounds

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6722148

[StealthRider]

Because that's barbaric and society is no longer that cowardly.

Last I checked it was still legal to execute someone in the United States...

[QCassidy352]

I think the whole death penalty debate is really for another thread, preferably one in the political forum. Even more so because it's academic in this case (the suspect is dead). Can we please keep this thread on the tragic events rather than on a theoretical discussion of what the punishment should be.

[iJohnHenry]

Besides, the poor victim was obviously the salt of the Earth.

I'll be surprised if his family doesn't sue for wrongful death.

[Nukemkb]

Prayers for the fallen...:(

[skunk]

Besides, the poor victim was obviously the salt of the Earth.Who said that?

[iJohnHenry]

Who said that?

Me, I think?? ;)

[Lord Blackadder]

True. I just don't think he deserves to be breathing when he's responsible for 3 or 4 (depends on the news report) officers not being able to do so.

The suspect was killed by the remaining SWAT officers during the gun battle. The fourth officer shot is brain dead but still on life support.

Horrible, Horrible. A vicious, pointless crime.

[Nojja]

So one guy managed to kill 4 SWAT guys? What gun was he using, and what was the SWAT team doing (wrong)?

This is tragic and i feel with the families to the killed.

[EricNau]

Last I checked it was still legal to execute someone in the United States...
Ethics are independent of legality. However, this discussion is not appropriate in this thread.

Here, deadly force was used to subdue a suspect who posed an immediate threat to the lives of the officers. It's unfortunate but justified.

[sushi]

Tragic news! My heart goes out to the families.

So one guy managed to kill 4 SWAT guys? What gun was he using, and what was the SWAT team doing (wrong)?
Did you even read the story?

[SFStateStudent]

Three officers have died, and the fourth officer is brain dead, but remains on life support. This was just updated, by the Oakland Police Department; changing their previous press release that the fourth officer was dead...:(

[william sire]

At least they did kill the criminal. Too bad he didn't hide with more of his friends so they could have been killed too.

[me_94501]

Horrible news. They should go ahead and string up the suspect.

The Oakland PD has had a rough beginning to 09, they've had to deal with the fallout from the fatal shooting of an unarmed man and now they're dealing with losing four of their own. I hope they're able to get as much help as they need.

Just for the sake of accuracy, the officer who killed Oscar Grant wasn't and Oakland Police officer, but was employed by the BART transit district.

[SFStateStudent]

Just for the sake of accuracy, the officer who killed Oscar Grant wasn't and Oakland Police officer, but was employed by the BART transit district.

+1 ^^^ I know so many people have got that incident mixed up. Bart Police have nothing to do with the Oakland Police Department. Their jurisdiction is the Bart Stations/Trains/Parking Lots of several cities and counties, and are full-fledged Peace Officers that have arrest powers throughout the state of California, and can issue tickets for moving violations and violations such as eating food in the paid areas of Bart and on the trains....

[Abstract]

That is messed up. Too bad. Don't mind that the guy on the bike died, but it's too bad he had to take down 4/5 officers.

[SFStateStudent]

That is messed up. Too bad. Don't mind that the guy on the bike died, but it's too bad he had to take down 4/5 officers.

The last I heard is that they are contemplating the officer's organ donations with the family....

[BittenApple]

It's like cornering an injured dog...

[SFStateStudent]

It's like cornering an injured dog...

+1 ^^^ Exactly the way I saw it; one of those "no way out situations!":eek::eek::eek:

[yoppie]

Just for the sake of accuracy, the officer who killed Oscar Grant wasn't and Oakland Police officer, but was employed by the BART transit district.

Thanks for the info.

[SFStateStudent]

Services for all four Oakland Police Officers killed in the line of duty will be Friday, March 27, '09 at the Oracle Arena, Oakland, California @11AM.....:(:(:(:(:(