OAKLAND
03-22-'09
8: 46
There is an immense, unrelenting pall that hovers over this city, as the community tries to recover from one of the worst days in Oakland history.
Four members of the Police Department were shot; three are dead, and one, my friend, John Hege Jr. is fighting for life at Highland Hospital.
A suspect is dead. What began as a "routine traffic stop" at 73rd and MacArthur, a block from the OPD East Oakland station, of all places, eventually would turn into one of the worst days in this cities history, and one of the most tragic in California law enforcement.
Having grown up in Oakland, yesterday was tough. I was on Facebook scribbling away aimlessly when a friend called and told me all hell had broke loose and to get down to Highland Hospital. I had no idea what was going on, but ran into my car and sped as fast as I could down to ACH, (Alameda County Hospital)
Listening to KCBS, the initial reports seemed nothing too alarming. "Police activity near the Eastmont Town Center". I figured that it was some sort of 'event, but again, not the type of horrific scene that would emerge later in the day and into the night.
I called a good buddy of mine--I don't want to use his name because of the obvious consequences, but he's a 25-year veteran of the Oakland Police--I've known him since junior high; he told me he couldn't talk, but that the scene was chaotic and incredibly sad. Four of his colleagues had been shot in two separate, but related shootings. At the time, all were alive, but all four were in grave condition. A fifth member of the SWAT team was hit, but his injury was not serious and he released from the hospital.
There were over 200 law enforcement officers at one of the sites. Yellow crime-scene tape was everywhere. Trying diligently to find out what had happened was difficult. Speculation was rampant, but the only thing we all knew was that there was some sort of shooting; two cops were hit, and that in an ensuing manhunt for the suspect(s), another two officers were gunned down.
The area around East Oakland looked straight out of a movie. Residents were mulling around, most on cell phones looking like they were in a daze. Police hovered everywhere. CHP, Alameda County sheriff's dept. officers, even BART police. Several officers had their heads down and were noticeably upset. It was very unsettling at best.
More frustrating was the fact that, again, nobody really knew what had happened other than sketchy details. An OPD Press spokesman had a short briefing in front of the police substation, but offered nothing specific other than stating that there had been two separate, but related shooting and that there was an on-going investigation.
I raced down to Highland and barely got into the perimeter. The entire block was cordoned off and information was minimal. Several police friends, hospital personnel, and various press people hovered around looking for any bit of news. Rumors and chatter was not positive. A coroner van was seen directly in front the emergency entrance.
The first hint of something ominous was the sight of several officers running to hug a mid-30's lady that was crying. I wanted to get over an see if I could talk to someone, but again, members of the press were kept in the distance, across the street. Word soon spread that at least one of the officers was dead, maybe another, and maybe all four.
A formal briefing was scheduled for 5 PM local time, but that was cancelled and re-scheduled for 7. Because of the severity of the events, the eventual police briefing took place shortly after 9 PM. By then we all knew that three OPD officers were dead, and the fourth was gravely wounded with a bullet to the head. Brain damage. He was clinging to life. His name is John Hege, 41, a good friend. His father is an Oakland Doctor.
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The other officers were all Sargent's, in their mid-30's, married, and had a couple of kids. The gun used in the killings was an assault weapon. All officers were wearing bullet-proof vests, but as another friend of mine told me, an ex-SFPD cop, even a bullet-proof vest is no match for a military-style assault weapon.
The gunman that was shot and killed was on parole. His rap sheet was "as long as the Dead Sea scrolls" according to one of the police lieutenants.
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Later into the night, I met city developer and civic leader Phil Tagami at Crogan's. We both felt numb. Tagami, like myself, is an Oakland native. We couldn't believe what had taken place in our beloved city. Phil is a mover and shaker who was behind the Fox Theatre restoration and owns the Rotunda building downtown. As we both commiserated, I urged him that the community must come together in the ensuing days, and that the only silver lining in this tragedy, as perverted as that sounds, is that Oakland as a city must use this horrific mess as a means to begin citizen solidarity. First and foremost, a show of support to the Police.
Most Oakland cops are good guys. A few bad apples, like every other department. I told Phil that inevitably the critics would come out and say that "they had it coming" and that the BART-cop shooting was a sort of sick "payback". Phil wondered if the lynch mob that rioted downtown over the BART-cop slaying of Oscar Grant would protest and rally for the 4 Oakland cops that got gunned down earlier in the day. I agreed. By that time, however, I was too emotionally spent and still in a state of shock to realize his sarcasm.
The long day and night is over. The Governor is headed here from Washington tomorrow to meet with the Mayor and Police officials. A press conference is scheduled for Monday.
I just got off the phone with Mickey Morabito with the Oakland A's, who expressed his condolences and said the A's will gladly offer something as a show of support to the Police and city. We need it. We need everyone and every citizen and public official, from the Mayor, the AG, Oakland resident Jerry Brown, to all the council members and clergy, and business leaders to all come together and try to use this tragedy as a means for coming together. We owe it to the fallen officers, their families and friends.
Rich Lieberman
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