Barricaded Armed Suspect Surrenders After Shooting a California Police Officer
After responding to reports about an armed man on Wednesday morning, California authorities said a police officer in Oakland was shot.
According to Fox News, the Oakland Police Department said the unidentified suspect was arrested when he surrendered after barricading himself inside a building during a standoff.
Suspect Barricaded Himself in Oakland
During a news conference, police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said the wounded officer was immediately transported to a hospital and is currently in stable condition. Armstrong noted that it was a difficult day for them.
However, he said he was still thankful and felt very fortunate because the officer was doing well and being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Suspect in California Standoff Surrenders
Authorities said a caller alerted the police department at around 6:30 a.m. regarding a man with a gun who was seen less than a mile north of downtown Oakland.
Police said the suspect, who has yet to be identified, quickly fired shots at the officers after arriving at the 2100 block of Telegraph Avenue. FOX 2 News reported that the wounded officer and another officer returned fire to the suspect, hitting him.
After getting shot, the suspect immediately ran inside the lobby of a nearby apartment building while holding a knife. The suspect then barricaded himself inside the apartment's lobby.
This prompted Oakland police officers to establish a perimeter outside the building. Residents were asked to shelter in place during the standoff. The suspect, described by police as a man in his 50s, then started to injure himself by cutting his skin.
Police said the suspect had barricaded himself inside for about two hours. At about 8:30 a.m., police negotiators and the mental health team were able to convince the man to surrender.
Armstrong credited the successful negotiation to the mental health team, who played an "important role" in negotiating with the suspect and keeping the police officer alive, with only minor injuries. Police later recovered at the scene the knife and the gun allegedly used by the suspect.
Police said an investigation was launched to determine whether the suspect was homeless and lived in a nearby encampment. Once the results were out, authorities would be giving the suspect the proper attention he needs.
The city of Oakland has recorded its 100th homicide of the year on Monday. Based on last year's report, the city has recorded a total of 109 homicide cases in the entirety of 2020. The city currently has a population of 425,000 people.
Armstrong said that this "is a sober reminder of how dangerous it is in the city of Oakland." He noted that the level of violence in the city "continues to be intolerable."
This article is owned by Latin Post
Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Oakland Officer Shot, Injured; Suspect in Custody After Brief Standoff: OPD - From NBC Bay Area
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