Man shot by Hayward police after waving fake gun at drivers

HAYWARD, Calif. (KTVU) - Hayward police opened fire Tuesday on a man who allegedly waved what looked like a gun at motorists. They later discovered it was a fake gun.  

Police said that the shooting occurred about 9 a.m. in the area of Mission Boulevard and Valle Vista Avenue. Mission was shut down between Tennyson and Industrial until about 1:30 p.m.

The incident began when people called 911 to report a man with a gun, said Officer Claudia Mau of the Hayward Police Department.

"He was waving the gun in the air," Mau said. "Community members called because they witnessed the male waving the gun in the air."

A witness told KTVU that moments before two police officers opened fire, a man with a "very large handgun" pointed the weapon at passing drivers and pretended to shoot at them. 

"What I saw was the gentleman pointing the gun at the car in front of me. He trailed it and pretended to shoot, including the recoil.  He then pointed the gun directly at me. I was probably 35 feet away and pretended to do the same thing. I looked right down the barrel of a gun."

The witness says he called 911 and within 45 seconds saw a Hayward police car make a U-turn on Mission and drive toward the suspect.

Workers at a construction site described what happened next.

"I heard the shots - six shots," said Adalberto Vazquez. "I was working right there at that trench over there, installing gas, and out of nowhere, I just heard bap-bap-bap. Six shots."

Jose Valdez also heard the shots. "I actually seen the guy when he received the bullets. Man, I was like, 'Oh, snap.'"

Authorities have not released the suspect's identity but described him as an Asian man in his 20s. He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive his injuries. 

The officers who fired their weapons are on paid administrative leave while the Hayward Police Department and Alameda County District Attorney's Office investigate.