ALAMEDA COUNTY — A man was shot dead by law enforcement Monday morning after he allegedly tried to grab an officer’s gun during a struggle in unincorporated Alameda County, authorities said.
At a news conference, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said it all began when a California Highway Patrol officer spotted a speeding car on eastbound Interstate 580 that later turned out to be stolen out of Hayward.
The officer was following the 2015 Hyundai sedan when it exited on 164th Avenue and later crashed in the unincorporated area of Ashland. Several suspects, all wearing ski masks, then jumped out of the car, Lt. Tya Modeste said.
A sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene to find the CHP officer on his back, fighting one of the suspects, Modeste said in a statement following the news conference. The suspect appeared to be attempting to disarm the officer, she said.
The suspect did not follow commands given by the deputy and the officer, who both opened fire, killing him around 2 a.m., Modeste said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Three other suspects were arrested without incident, Modeste said. None of the suspects have been positively identified.
Police did not find a firearm in the car or on any of the suspects, authorities said.
The California Department of Justice is investigating and will independently review the shooting since it involved an apparently unarmed person, as required by AB 1506, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. Once complete, the review will be turned over to the DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for an independent review.
Staff writer Jason Green contributed to this report. Check back for updates.
