Three police officers dead in Oakland shootings

[Calvin]

OAKLAND (KRON) -- Three Oakland Police Officers are dead, a fourth is in "grave" condition after two related shootings Saturday afternoon.

Investigators say the problems began at 1:08 p.m. Saturday when Sgt. Mark Dunakin and Officer John Hege pulled over a car on what appears to be a routine traffic stop. Eight minutes later Oakland police dispatchers got a call from a citizen reporting two officers were on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds. Sgt. Dunakin later died at Highlands Hospital. Officer Hege remains "gravely wounded."

Investigators say another citizen then called to say the suspected shooter was holed up in an apartment complex nearby. After repeated failed attempts to contact the man, SWAT team members entered the apartment where they were authorities say they were met with automatic weapons fire. SWAT team members Sgt. Ervin Romans, and Sgt. Dan Saki were killed. A third officer suffered a minor wound when a bullet grazed his head. He was treated and released.

Authorities say other SWAT team members returned fire killing the 27-year old suspect, Lavelle Mixon of Oakland. Investigators say there was a warrant for Mixon's arrest for violating the terms of his parole on an assault with a deadly weapon conviction.

"We come together in shock, in grief, in sadness, in sorrow at a set of tragic instances that have caused the deaths of several of our police officers," Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said. "Our hearts go out to the families that at this very moment are experiencing a level of tragedy and loss beyond our ability to comprehend nor to express in words. It speaks to the fact that these men and women come to work and put their lives on the line. These folks, I'm sure, left their homes with great expectation of returning but they did not. We thank them."

Hundreds of officers from surrounding communities helped Oakland police with the investigation and efforts to find Mixon.

"We're a big family and we rely on each other for support," Acting police chief Howard Jordan said. "Unless you've been a policeman and you've been through some of the things that they've gone through. You don't really understand what it's like to watch a fellow officer that gets killed."

Investigators say it appears Mixon was acting alone so no one else is being sought. Authorities promise details soon on funeral services for the slain officers.

To leave your thoughts on what happened to these officers, please make a comment below.

Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON4.com for continuing coverage of this developing story.

(Copyright 2009, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)

Routine Saturday Traffic Stop Leads to the Deaths of Three Oakland Police Officers, a Suspect, and the Wounding of a Fourth Officer

(CNN) -- Three police officers in Oakland, California, were shot and killed Saturday afternoon after a man pulled over for a routine traffic stop opened fire, police said.

The man, a 27-year-old Oakland resident, was later fatally shot in a gun battle with SWAT officers in a nearby apartment complex where he hid.

A fourth officer -- also shot -- remained in critical condition, police said at a late-night news conference.

Authorities discovered the alleged gunman, 27-year-old LaVelle Mixon, had an extensive criminal history. At the time of the shooting, he was in violation of parole for assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

The incident began about 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in east Oakland when two motorcycle officers tried to pull over a car for a "fairly, routine traffic stop," said Dave Kozicki, the deputy police chief.

Immediately afterward, emergency call dispatchers received reports that two officers were down at the scene and needed attention. They had been shot, Kozicki said.

A manhunt was under way for the shooter when an anonymous caller directed authorities to a building on an adjacent street where the gunman was believed to be barricaded, said acting Police Chief Howard Jordan.

The gunman opened fire on SWAT officers who entered the apartment, hitting two more officers before police returned fire, killing the suspect, Jordan said.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said flags at the capitol will fly at half-staff to honor the fallen officers.

"This is a tragic day for law enforcement officers everywhere," he said in a statement. "All four officers dedicated their lives to public safety and selflessly worked to protect the people of Oakland."

Three police officers dead in Oakland shootings

Sad day for the state..

 

[sequoias]

It is really sad for that crazed shooting rampage that killed 3 officers.

 

[dreamsfloatjoe]

What ever they pay police officer's, it ain't enough!

 

[Calvin]

Shooter dies and fourth policeman suffers brain damage, may not survive

This is an undated photo combo of images released by the Oakland Police Department of Oakland Police officers from left: Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt. Daniel Sakai and Sgt. Ervin Romans. A man wanted for violating his parole killed three police officers and gravely wounded Hege during the in two shootings on Saturday.

OAKLAND, Calif. - A police officer was battling for his life and three more were dead after a parolee with an "extensive criminal history" opened fire at a routine traffic stop and hours later gunned down members of a SWAT team searching for him.

The gunman was also killed Saturday, capping a day of violence that the Oakland Police Department said was the worst in its history. Never before had three police officers died in the line of duty on the same day.

"It's in these moments that words are extraordinarily inadequate," said Mayor Ron Dellums at a somber news conference Saturday night.

The mayhem began that afternoon, when two motorcycle patrol officers stopped a 1995 Buick sedan in east Oakland, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said. The driver opened fire, killing Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, and gravely wounding Officer John Hege, 41.

Gunman flees on foot

The gunman then fled on foot, police said, leading to an intense manhunt by dozens of Oakland police, California Highway Patrol officers and Alameda County sheriff deputies. Streets were roped off and an entire area of east Oakland closed to traffic.

About two hours later, officers got an anonymous tip that the gunman was inside a nearby apartment building.

A SWAT team had entered an apartment to clear and search it when the gunman shot them with an assault rifle, police said.

Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, were killed and a third officer was grazed by a bullet, police said.

SWAT team members returned fire, killing 26-year-old Lovelle Mixon of Oakland, Acting Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said.

Officer Hege suffered brain damage and may not survive, his father, Dr. John S. Hege, said late Saturday.

"It is a stunning thing to face," he said.

Grieving officers

Grieving officers at the police station hugged and consoled each other. People left four bouquets of white roses under a granite memorial wall inside the building lobby that lists 47 officers killed in the line of duty. The wall shows the last officer killed in Oakland was in January of 1999.

Police said Mixon wielded two different weapons. One gun was used at the first scene and an assault rifle was used at the apartment building where he was hiding.

Jordan said Mixon had an "extensive criminal history" and was wanted on a no-bail warrant.

"(Mixon) was on parole and he had a warrant out for his arrest for violating that parole. And he was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon," said Oakland police Deputy Chief Jeffery Israel.

Police said they did not know exactly why the officers initially stopped the suspect, but said it apparently was a routine traffic stop.

People lingered at the scene of the first shooting. About 20 bystanders taunted police.

Tension between police and the community has risen steadily since the fatal shooting of unarmed 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a transit police officer at an Oakland train station on Jan. 1.

That former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer, Johannes Mehserle, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday. Violent protests erupted on the streets of Oakland in the weeks after Grant's death, further inflaming tensions.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger planned to fly to Oakland on Sunday from Washington, D.C., to meet with police and Mayor Dellums, the govenor's office said.

3 cops die after shooting; 1 wounded

Oh no, 4th officer may not survive.

 

[Babyblue]

Oh my!

So sad!

My thoughts for their family and other fellow officers in the line of duty.

 

[Calvin]

4th officer brain dead after shooting in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland police officer shot during a traffic stop was declared brain dead on Sunday and on life support, a day after three other officers were fatally shot in what was being described as the deadliest day in the department's history, police said.

Officer John Hege, 41, was being kept alive on life support at Highland Hospital after being gravely wounded in the first of two shootings on Saturday, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said. Earlier Sunday, Thomason said the officer had died. He later released a statement saying Hege was brain dead but on life support until a final decision could be made on organ donation.

A 26-year-old parolee wanted on a parole violation opened fire on Hege and 40-year-old Sgt. Mark Dunakin after they pulled him over Saturday afternoon, police said. Dunakin died that day. Hege was hospitalized with a major brain injury and survived through the night, his family said.

Suspect Lovelle Mixon was slain later Saturday afternoon in a gunfight with police that left two more officers dead. Thomason identified those officers as Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35.

Violence began with traffic stop

Oakland police said never in the department's history had so many officers been killed in the line of duty in a single day.

The violence began when Hege and Dunakin, both on motorcycles, stopped a 1995 Buick sedan in east Oakland just after 1 p.m., Thomason said. The driver opened fire, killing Dunakin and gravely wounding Hege.

The gunman then fled on foot, police said, leading to an intense manhunt by dozens of Oakland police, California Highway Patrol officers and Alameda County sheriff deputies. Streets were roped off and an entire area of east Oakland was closed to traffic.

Around 3:30 p.m., officers got an anonymous tip that the gunman was inside a nearby apartment building. A SWAT team entered the building and the gunman opened fire, police said. Romans and Sakai were killed and a third officer was grazed by a bullet, police said.

Officers returned fire, killing Mixon, Acting Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said.

"It's in these moments that words are extraordinarily inadequate," said Mayor Ron Dellums at a somber news conference announcing the slayings.

Governor meeting with police

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered flags at the state capitol flown at half-staff Sunday in honor of the slain officers. Schwarzenegger arrived in Oakland on Sunday to meet with Dellums and members of the police department.

"All four officers dedicated their lives to public safety and selflessly worked to protect the people of Oakland," he said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost, the Oakland Police Department and law enforcement officers throughout California during this difficult time."

Police said Mixon used different weapons in each incident. One gun was used at the first scene and an assault rifle was used at the apartment building where he was hiding.

"(Mixon) was on parole and he had a warrant out for his arrest for violating that parole. And he was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon," said Oakland police Deputy Chief Jeffery Israel.

Police said they did not know why the officers initially stopped the suspect, but said it apparently was a routine traffic stop. Thomason said Mixon had an extensive criminal history and was wanted on a no-bail warrant.

Suspect 'not a monster'

Reached by telephone late Saturday, Dr. John S. Hege said his son loved being a policeman and recently became a motorcycle traffic patrol officer. "He liked excitement," he said.

As for the slain shooting suspect, Hege said, "The man was evidently terribly desperate. It is a sad story."

LaTasha Mixon, 28, of Sacramento said Sunday her cousin was "not a monster." She said her family's prayers were with the slain officers' relatives.

"We're devastated. Everybody took a major loss. We're crushed," she said.

 

[Babyblue]

So once they make a decision on the Organ donations.. They will unplug the life support.

So that will make it 4 officers.

 

[Calvin]

So once they make a decision on the Organ donations.. They will unplug the life support.

So that will make it 4 officers.

Yes, now 4 officers are dead, they unplugged the 4th offficer's life support about noon, Pacific time.

 

[Bottesini]

That is a terribly sad story. I feel so sorry for the families.

 

[sara1981]

that sad!

 

[Babyblue]

 

[Maria]

Bein' an officer is a huge job and it ain't that easy. High risk job. Those 4 officers are very brave men who took their job to protect American citizens.

Rest in peace, officers: Mark, John, Daniel and Ervin.

 

[Reba]

Tragic story.

 

[Byrdie714]

Isn't Oakland a violent city?

 

[sequoias]

My friend who lives in Oakland (He lives in Oakland hills) just told me the 4th officer checked out yesterday after Calvin posted news about the 4th with brain damage. So, that makes 4 officers dead.

Byrdie, depends where in Oakland. I grew up in Oakland during my childhood years, anyhow. The Oakland hills is pretty much safe area as well some of North Oakland and most of downtown. East Oakland and West Oakland are dangerous areas, some parts of South Oakland.

 

[Phillips]

So Sad!

 

[Calvin]

Oakland Remembers Fallen Officers

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The city virtually halted Friday for the funeral of four slain police officers, with a populace still in shock jamming a large sports arena, spilling into an overflow stadium and filling the streets to pay their last respects.

The funerals for Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai, who authorities say were gunned down March 21 by a parolee during a traffic stop and a later shootout, shut down major freeways into and out of Oakland for much of the day as their long processions made their way to and from the Oracle Arena.

The officers' violent deaths marked the deadliest day for law enforcement in California in nearly four decades and the deadliest nationwide since Sept. 11, 2001. Underscoring the magnitude of the tragedy, a somber pageant of uniformed officers from every type of agency - police departments, sheriffs' offices, highway patrols from across the country - overwhelmed the arena.

The entire 815-member Oakland Police Department, wearing dress white caps and gloves and black mourning bands on their badges, filled the front rows, saluting their fallen brethren as their flag-draped caskets were carried inside.

Loved ones, community members and dignitaries, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, state Attorney General Jerry Brown, made up the rest of the mourners in the arena, with a large overflow crowd filing into the adjacent Oakland Coliseum to watch the service on jumbo screens more than 20,000 attendees in all.

"These four men were and are heroes, but they weren't made of steel. They always knew the day may come," Feinstein said in her address to the crowd. "When the time came to make the ultimate sacrifice, their final hour was one of their finest."

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums also attended the service, but was asked not to speak by at least one family of the victims, his spokesman said. Paul Rose said he did not know which family made the request or the reason.

President Barack Obama and his first lady Michelle also sent condolences in a letter, read by Oakland police chaplain Jayson Landeza, saying, "their commitment to their fellow man will never be forgotten."

But one of the most affecting tributes came from Oakland Police Capt. Edward Tracey, commander of the SWAT team that cornered parolee Lovelle Mixon in an apartment, prompting the deadly shootout that left Sgt. Romans, Sgt. Sakai and the suspect dead.
The violence began earlier in the day when Mixon allegedly shot Sgt. Dunakin and Officer Hege at a routine traffic stop.

"These were my men," Tracey said. "They died doing what they loved: riding in motorcycles, kicking in doors, serving in SWAT."

In a speech that brought tears to the crowd, he thanked the citizens who called the police on the suspect after the traffic stop and singled out Clarence Ellis, a 53-year-old former bus driver who stepped forward to perform CPR on Dunakin at the scene.

Tracey also addressed the members of the SWAT team present when Romans and Sakai were killed. "Console yourself knowing that they spent their last moments in your company," he said, also telling the officers not to let the deaths "hold you back."

The officers' coffins lined the front of the arena. The tall black motorcycle boots that Dunakin and Hege wore were placed by their caskets and their beloved motorcycles sat nearby.
Individual eulogies from friends, colleagues and relatives of the officers sketched portraits of dedicated, hard-working family men.

Dunakin, 40, known as "Dunny," was the life of the party and loved looking good on his motorcycle. Hege, 41, volunteered to work overtime at the Coliseum during Raiders home games to see his favorite team. Romans, 43, a former Marine Corps drill sergeant, was an avid hunter and enjoyed cooking up his game. Sakai, 35, was a former Boy Scout who loved backpacking through untouched wilderness.

Outside, a sea of police vehicles, including bomb-squad trucks, motorcycles, Ford Crown Victorias and Dodge Charger cruisers, filled the parking lot. A contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived on horses.

New York City Police Lt. Tommy Ng, who attended the ceremony, said the tragedy brought back memories of Sept. 11. He said he was not surprised by the outpouring of support for his colleagues in Oakland.

"When one of us is hurt, all of us are hurt," Ng said before the service. "We're all brothers."
Minneapolis Police Sgt. Steve Blackwell and three other officers drove two squad cars from Minnesota over three days to attend Friday's service.

"It's a national tragedy," Blackwell said, "so it cuts pretty deep. We want to let the people of Oakland see that we care. I hope that this city finds strength from this tragedy to move ahead."
For those in the Oakland Police Department, the loss is almost unspeakable.
Gery Gilbert, 49, a traffic clerk at the Eastmont substation, where the slain officers worked, said she had a hard time just getting up Friday morning. She recalled how excited Hege was to be on motorcycle patrol when she last saw him two weeks ago, just one week after he joined the patrol.

Ronit Tulloch, a resident of Oakland, said she wanted to attend the funeral to show her gratitude for the work police officers do to protect citizens.
"You take it for granted, you forget what they're really there for," she said. "They just get up every day and do it. It's amazing."

Oakland Remembers Fallen Officers

 

[Calvin]

Here's a few videos:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEXTPfJN5Vk]YouTube - Ed Tracy Memorial Speech at Oakland Police Funeral[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfUbWPXMTe4]YouTube - funeral service for Oakland police officers[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BSX84bzEMU[/ame]

 

[LovelyBlkGal]

I read yahoo news and it's make me shocked that all 4 officers are killed in line of duty but not ONLY Calif some state does that very sad that

 

[dead money]

Tragic, yes....unexpected, no.

Its probaly the officers fault in not handling the situation better. In an area as shitty as Oakland is, there's really no excuse for letting that happen.