Shooting at Frank Ogawa Plaza
on November 10, 2011
Details are coming in now of a shooting late this afternoon near Frank Ogawa Plaza. Oakland Police Department spokesperson Johnna Watson released this statement at 5:30 pm:
“On November 10, 2011 at 4:57 PM, the Oakland Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Broadway on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived on scene they found a victim suffering from a gun shot wound. This is all the information we have at this time. We will up date you as we receive more information.”
At about 7:00 PM, Councilmember Ignacio de La Fuente told Oakland North that Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan had confirmed the shooting victim’s death.
“My biggest fear came to reality,” De La Fuente said in an interview. “I’ve been concerned about the safety at Frank Ogawa Plaza. I’ve been really vocal about it over these last couple of weeks. Mayor Quan should have taken responsibility about the situation. I’m not happy at all of what has happened.”
According to witnesses, at around 5 pm an altercation erupted, near the intersection of 14th and Broadway, in which gunshots were fired. Five minutes later about a half dozen Oakland police officers and an ambulance arrived at the scene. The officers found injured man lying on the ground. Paramedics provided CPR to the victim before taking him away from the scene in an ambulance. According to witnesses, the victim was in his 20s, has long dark hair and was wearing a colorful hooded jacket. Shortly afterwards, four helicopters started flying over Frank Ogawa Plaza. Officers put tape around the 12th street Bart station at the plaza. A crowd grew near the scene.
De La Fuente and ABC-TV 7 spokespersons confirmed that a cameraman from the local television station, who had tried to get footage of the shooting scene, was beaten and injured by some crowd members.
By around 6 pm, the Occupy Oakland tent city appeared peaceful. Protesters started a candlelight vigil next to the shooting scene.
At about 6:45, Oakland Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan briefly addressed the crowd as protesters shouted “Turn on the lights!” a reference to the power being out in the plaza.
You can read our 10 pm update here.
You can see Oakland North’s complete coverage of Occupy Oakland here.
4 Comments
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[…] shot and killed near Frank Ogawa Plaza where Occupy Oakland tent city located, but association remains unclear. Protesters reportedly […]
I am terribly sad over this, both for the young man killed and the people who were there when it happened. What I don’t understand is how De La Fuente is linking this to the OO camp. Does he suggest that it was campers or supporters who shot this man. Or that somehow this wouldn’t have happened if the camp hadn’t been there. I would really like an explanation of his line of reasoning.
From what I’ve read this young man was running toward #OccupyOakland because he knew there were people there who would protect him and stop the thugs who were assaulting him. Unfortunately for all of us he didn’t make it. That’s the only connection this tragedy has to the Occupation.
Councilman De La Fuenta’s accusations are groundless, opportunistic, and utterly despicable. His words are a transparent attempt to use the loss of a young man’s life as a pawn to advance his own political agenda.
Everyone at Occupy is heartbroken to see a member of our Oakland community gunned down in another senseless act of violence and our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Where was de la Fuente for the other 100 homicides that happened this year?