'Heartbreaking loss': Law enforcement honor parole agent fatally shot in Oakland
Procession for state patrol agent shot dead in Oakland
State parole agent Joshua Byrd was shot and killed at the parole office in Oakland. The suspect, Bryan Keith Hall, 48, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The law enforcement community is remembering a parole agent who was shot and killed in Oakland on Thursday.
A procession was underway Friday afternoon from Oakland, though the Bay Area to Sacramento.
The shooting occurred just before 1 p.m. Thursday at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation building in Oakland on Edgewater Drive.
The CDCR and Gov. Gavin Newsom identified the fallen agent as 40-year-old Joshua Lemont Byrd.
Police identified the suspect now in custody as Bryan Keith Hall, 48. Hall had recently been paroled from prison. The suspect had been convicted on an assault with a deadly weapon charge for stabbing a man in the neck in Oakland, KTVU learned on Thursday.
Byan Hall, suspected of shooting and killing parole agent Joshua Lemont Byrd on July 17, 2025.
Timeline
The backstory:
The CHP said Oakland police first received a 9-1-1 call about the shooting around 12:48 p.m.
When Oakland police officers arrived, they learned a CDCR employee had been shot inside the building.
The responding officers found the victim and placed him directly inside a police vehicle for transport to the hospital rather than waiting for an ambulance.
Aerial video from SkyFOX showed heavy police presence for several hours Thursday afternoon at the state building.
Multiple patrol cars and officers were also seen at nearby Highland Hospital in Oakland, about 6 miles from Edgewater Drive.
After an hours-long manhunt, the suspect was taken into custody.
The CHP said officers detained the suspect near 90th Avenue and International Boulevard and transported him by ambulance.
Parole Agent Joshua Lemont Byrd (left) and procession for the agent in Oakland, Calif. on July 18, 2025.
What we know about the parole agent
Byrd joined CDCR as a cadet at the correctional officer academy in June 2014, the governor's office said.
He served as a correctional officer and correctional sergeant before joining the Oakland parole office in October.
Byrd is survived by his wife and three children.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was started for the late officer. As of Friday afternoon, more than $60,000 had been raised.
California leaders react
What they're saying:
Gov. Gavin Newsom called the agent's death a heartbreaking loss.
"Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage — and we’re forever grateful," Newsom said late Thursday. "We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR in mourning this tragedy."
Flags at the Capitol and other state facilities will be flown at half-staff, the governor's office said.
This is the first line-of-duty loss for the CDCR since 2018.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee issued a statement on the agent's death, honoring the loss of a public servant.
"The City of Oakland is heartbroken at the loss of one of our fellow public servants and we stand by them and all of their colleagues at the state parole service," Lee said.
The Oakland Police Department echoed Lee's sentiments.
"Agent Byrd's bravery, dedication, and sacrifice will be remembered. Our thoughts are with Agent Byrd's family and all who knew and served with him," the department said in a statement.
The CHP is leading the investigation since the shooting occurred on state property, the agency said.
Procession for Oakland parole agent
The law enforcement community is remembering a parole agent who was shot and killed in Oakland on Thursday.