OPD Ceasefire Team arrests five people, recovers weapons and drugs in raid
on October 6, 2015
On Friday morning, the Oakland Police Department Ceasefire Team and the FBI arrested five people and recovered weapons and drugs in a raid targeting the Ghost Town gang.
Multiple search warrants were issued in Oakland, Vallejo, Antioch and Sacramento in connection with gang members who “are responsible for multiple violent crimes in Oakland,” according to the press release issued by the OPD.
“The FBI was assisting the Oakland Police Department on those raids. The raids resulted in state charges but no federal charges,” said Michele Ernst, FBI spokesperson.
Ceasefire is a program started by the U.S. government that mandates that a participating city implement a strategy based on partnering, planning, and implementation to reduce its relatively high rate of gang and youth gun violence. It asks that if gang members will agree to stop committing violent crimes, then community and religious organizations will be prepared to offer members job training, education and other support services.
A search warrant was issued to the Ceasefire team and the FBI for an address on the 2800 block of Filbert Street of West Oakland where the OPD “recovered three rifles, one replica gun, a 100-round drum, a 50-round magazine with ammunition, a pound and a half of marijuana, and cash,” said OPD Captain Ersie M. Joyner, a leader of the Ceasefire team.
Speaking Saturday, Joyner said, “I can confirm five people have been arrested at this time and this was part of a 10-day investigation with the Operation Ceasefire Team and the FBI.” As of Monday afternoon, Joyner had no further updates.
The Ghost Town gang has been operating in the Oakland area for just about 30 years and “some gang members were living in other cities to avoid the violence in Oakland,” said Joyner.
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- OPD officers served a search warrant for a residence on the block of Filbert Street in Oakland. (Photo courtesy of Oakland Police Department)
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- OPD officers served a search warrant for a residence on the block of Filbert Street in Oakland. (Photo courtesy of Oakland Police Department)
1 Comment
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Note to the police: we have been across the fence from the targeted house for 15 years and never had any issues.
The police in this operation used our Condominium Complex, without permission or prenotifying us in anyway-as a firing position on the house they raided. They trespassed and placed 3 snipers on our roof in the dark. Had there been gun fire returned from the raided house, our resident’s units own windows would have been in the line of fire and likely hit. This is absolutely outrageous police behavior-unnecessarily risking the lives of innocent people in the questionable pursuit of would-be criminals.
Note what the search warrant turned up: nothing special.
Message to Police: stop endangering the lives of the innocent with your crazy ops!
Our attorney will be in touch shortly, the Mayor will get lettered, and we will petition the Board of Supervisors to sanction this sort of absurd governmental behavior.
-Bayside Court Owners Association, Inc..