A man who allegedly threatened to kill a woman at an Oakland park Sunday exchanged gunfire with police, the OPD says, before barricading himself inside an abandoned house where he set a fire during an hourslong standoff.
The incident began around 10:30 am Sunday, when the Oakland Police Department received reports of a man threatening to kill a woman at Manzanita Park near 22nd Avenue and East 28th Street, as ABC 7 reports. The police department said that when officers arrived, the man opened fire on them, prompting officers to return fire before he fled into the surrounding neighborhood.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, including tactical teams and a police drone, while officers established a perimeter around the area.
“I saw tons of cop cars, and they kept coming, kept coming, more and more and more cop cars,” said resident Rebecca Kaplan, speaking to KTVU. “They were loud, I mean I’m a block away from the park and it was bang, bang…like about seven shots.”
Homes in the immediate area were reportedly evacuated. Other nearby residents were instructed to stay inside, but some said they weren’t notified.
“They did not tell us anything,” a resident told ABC 7. “They walked back and forth and they didn't say anything to us. And they didn't say it to stay inside. Literally nothing. And I was shocked.”
According to Bay Area News Group, the suspect initially jumped between backyards while fleeing police before taking refuge in an abandoned house on the 2600 block of 22nd Avenue. Oakland Police Chief James Beere said surveillance footage from nearby residents helped officers identify the man and locate the house where he was hiding.
By around 3 pm, police said the suspect began throwing cans containing flammable liquid at officers after setting them on fire, eventually igniting the house where he had barricaded himself. Officers reportedly deployed smoke to force him out of the burning building, after which a police canine unit and tactical team took him into custody.
The Oakland Fire Department extinguished the blaze, while a neighboring home also began catching fire, which reportedly sustained minimal damage.
Nearby residents reported on Instagram that they heard two explosions, alleging that the second fire was caused by the police smoke bombs, though that claim has not been verified.
The suspect was taken to a hospital with injuries, and the shelter-in-place order issued during the standoff was lifted. No officers were injured, and the woman who was allegedly threatened was not physically harmed.
At a press conference, Beere declined to identify the suspect but said police believe he may be connected to other violent crimes in the area.
“He was out to hurt people today,” said Beere. “He was bent on killing someone today, and the women and men of the Oakland Police Department and our neighboring agencies helped us prevent that from happening.”
The officers who fired their weapons have been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
The San Leandro Police Department, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, East Bay Parks Police, and FBI also assisted Oakland police during the incident.
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