Oakland Police fatally shoot armed man who allegedly pointed gun at residents, officers

OAKLAND, Calif. - Authorities said Oakland police officers fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed and pointing a gun at residents and responding officers.

911 callers report armed man

What we know:

Interim Police Chief James Beere said 911 calls came in around 3:50 p.m. reporting a man in the 1800 block of 89th Avenue near Birch Street, pointing a gun at people in the area and motorists.

When officers arrived, they made contact with the suspect, who then pointed a weapon at police, Beere said.

Officers open fire

Dig deeper:

Several officers opened fire, striking the man. He was later pronounced dead, Beere said. His identity has not been released, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Beere said a firearm was recovered at the scene and is believed to be connected to the suspect.

Neighbors describe fear and relief after shooting

Neighbors said the gunfire could be heard from blocks away.

"It was very loud, like one behind another, like a lot, a lot of exchange, and I said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,’" said Maria Guzman, who lives nearby. 

It's unclear if the suspect fired his weapon. 

"We saw, and our neighbors, they say this guy point his gun at the heads from many kids and adults who are living around the corner," Guzman said. "Thanks to God the police come as soon as possible."

One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said he was familiar with the man.

"All I know is he was the type of person who was very violent for no apparent reason. He had enemies. He just start shooting at people," the neighbor said. "I was born here. He used to be around for at least 10, 20 years, but he wasn’t acting like this at first, but something happened to him two years ago. He snapped."

The resident expressed relief following the shooting.

"Kids can go play again. Everybody can drive normal and nobody got to look over their shoulder every 20 seconds because this man is out of here," the neighbor said. "People don’t like police out here, but they did a good job this time."

Longtime residents said the shooting was unusual for the neighborhood and that violence in the area had appeared to be improving.

"I don’t hear gunshots anymore, just to be quite honest. I don’t know if everybody got silencers... I’m shocked. I haven’t heard any gunshots in this neighborhood, probably one or two here and there, and I don’t think they were actual guns," said Tamika Stevens.

Scene secure

Why you should care:

A large police presence remained in the area into the evening, with officers blocking off the intersection at 89th Avenue and Birch Street. At least four evidence markers were placed at the scene, though authorities have not said what evidence was identified.

One person appeared to be injured on a nearby sidewalk and was transported to a local hospital. Authorities have not confirmed whether that person was the suspect or if they are connected to the investigation.