San Leandro Police Reveal Officer-Involved Shooting a Case of Two-Unrelated Incidents
SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) -- Police released body camera footage Friday of an officer-involved shooting from October and admitted the 43-year-old man they shot wasn't a suspect in an earlier incident.
Officers shot John Berry on Oct. 24 after they witnessed him pulling a gun and pointing it at them. Further investigation found that Berry was searching for someone who he believed was stalking his fiancé.
The shooting occurred around 9:15 p.m., when officers attempted a traffic stop on a silver sedan for traffic violations in the area of 148th Avenue and Wake Avenue.
Police pursued the sedan for several blocks after it failed to stop. The car chase ended near the intersection of 137th Avenue and School Street and the driver fled on foot.
A search for the suspect came up empty, but officers discovered a firearm in the abandoned sedan. Later, minutes before midnight, two officers in an unmarked police car noticed another silver car pull behind them and stop on 137th Avenue just east of Bancroft Avenue.
The officers exited their vehicle and saw the driver, Berry, point a firearm at them. They opened fire, striking Berry several times in his chest.
The video footage released Friday shows officers approaching the driver when he's down on the ground, bleeding, and removing the firearm, which was stuck on the driver's finger.
The footage also includes the 911 call from Berry's fiancé, who told dispatchers that her husband went searching for a driver who had been following her. She heard shots not long after he left the house.
First responders took Berry to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. He remains hospitalized.
San Leandro Police said Friday that the department is conducting a multi-level investigation, as is the Alameda County District Attorney's office. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave which is standard protocol in any officer involved shooting.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the San Leandro Police Department at (510) 577-2740.
