UPDATE: Oakland Police Release New Details On Sideshow Activity That Led To Fatal Bay Bridge Crash
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Police in Oakland on Tuesday night released more information and video of sideshow activity over the weekend that was connected to a fatal motorcycle crash on the Bay Bridge.
Oakland Police said they responded to numerous sideshows throughout the city in Sunday which also involved multiple shooting scenes, including one that resulted in an injured gunshot victim.
Hundreds of people and vehicles participated in the criminal activity over the course of the entire day and required multiple patrol officers to respond out of their districts, impacting our ability to respond to service.
Earlier Tuesday, authorities confirmed that a Stockton man was arrested on suspicion of murder after his passenger died while they were involved in a California Highway Patrol pursuit of a group of dirt bikers who created mayhem on the streets of Oakland, San Francisco and on the span.
Humza Zahoor, 20, has been booked into the San Francisco County jail in connection with the Sunday crash that killed 20-year-old Christopher Lee of Beaumont, Texas.
RELATED: San Francisco Dirt Bike Gang Mayhem Ends With Death On Bay Bridge
Oakland police said the sideshows began around noon with more than 300 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes driving recklessly throughout Oakland.
According to the CHP, officers initially responded just after 5 p.m. for a report of a sideshow involving as many as 15 dirt bikes heading toward the Bay Bridge.
When CHP patrol cars encountered the bikes on the bridge's eastbound lanes, the riders allegedly turned around and began heading in the wrong direction.
The riders then exited at the Sterling Street and Fourth Street off-ramps, traversed downtown San Francisco and re-entered the bridge the wrong way on the Fremont Street on-ramp, heading east on the upper deck of the westbound Bay Bridge.
Lee, who was part of the group of dirt bike riders, then crashed his bike near the Treasure Island ramp, prompting another biker from the group, later identified as Zahoor, to pick up Lee, CHP officials said.
As officers pursued the pair, Zahoor attempted to evade officers by trying to jump a median wall. Zahoor, however, crashed into the wall, causing Lee to be ejected onto the Bay Bridge, where a pickup truck struck and killed him.
Video posted to social media showed a number of motorcyclists weaving through stalled traffic in the Yerba Buena tunnel.
As a result of the collision, two lanes of eastbound I-80 east of the Treasure Island tunnel were shut down for hours Sunday evening, causing major delays. According to CHP, all lanes were reopened as of 9:10 p.m. Sunday.
The sideshow activity continued in Oakland following the fatal accident on the bridge, according to police. At 6:11 p.m., OPD received calls regarding illegal sideshow activity in the area of 22nd Avenue and East 12th Street.
Arriving officers found roughly 300 pedestrians and upwards of 150 vehicles taking part in an illegal sideshow. Some within the crowd pointed lasers at officers in an attempt to disable them.
Around 7:08 p.m., some of the officers were diverted to 35th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard to respond to reports of more than a dozen shots fired. Arriving officers found a victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Additional officers were reassigned from sideshow enforcement to the active shooting scene as a large crowd of sideshow participants arrived.
Dr. Ada Wells posted video on Twitter showing motorcyclists popping wheelies as they headed towards San Francisco earlier in the afternoon.
Another clip posted on Twitter showed a group on similar vehicles pulling stunts as they rode through downtown Oakland.
Oakland police said "the past two weekends have seen a resurgence of active and aggressive sideshows." Police are asking the public to avoid the area if they see a sideshow developing. Residents are asked to call 911 if there is an emergency or immediate safety threat.
Police also have an email tipline sideshowtips@oaklandca.gov to report information regarding illegal sideshows, including vehicles and people involved in this activity. The email is an alternative to the department's non-emergency number (510) 777-3333 and is an additional means of collecting information about illegal sideshows.
