4 Officers shot and killed in a deadly shootout

OAKLAND, Calif. - Bouquets of flowers from grieving residents were piled up at a growing memorial in front of the Oakland police department after its worst single day death toll.
Three officers were killed Saturday during separate confrontations with a 26-year-old parolee who relatives said feared returning to jail. A fourth officer was on life support.
"We lose officers about every 57 hours in this country," said Chuck Canterbury, president of the national Fraternal Order of Police. "But seldom do you have one of this magnitude."
Oakland had never lost even two officers in the line of duty on the same day. Flags at the state capitol were flown at half-staff Sunday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned from Washington, D.C., to meet briefly with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and members of the police department.
Suspect killed by police
Police said all four officers were shot Saturday by Lovelle Mixon, 26, of Oakland, a parolee who fled after shooting the first two officers following a traffic stop, then shot two more after a SWAT team entered an apartment in which he was hiding. Mixon was killed by officers, police said.
Mixon's family gathered Sunday at his grandmother's East Oakland home, where he had stayed on and off since being released from a nine-month sentence for a parole violation, family members said.
LaTasha Mixon, 28, a cousin of the gunman, said her family's prayers were with the slain officers' relatives. "We're devastated. Everybody took a major loss. We're crushed," she said.
Mixon was wanted on a no-bail warrant for violating his parole when Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, and Officer John Hege, 41, both on motorcycles, stopped a 1995 Buick sedan in east Oakland just after 1 p.m., police said.
The driver opened fire, killing Dunakin and gravely wounding Hege, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said.
Officer is brain dead
Police initially issued a statement Sunday saying Hege had died but later backtracked, saying the officer had been declared brain dead but remained on life support while a decision was made about donating his organs. Reached by telephone, Dr. John S. Hege said his son was attached to a ventilator and "looks fine" except for a black eye behind which the bullet was lodged.
"He does not have vital brain function to sustain life and will not regain that," Hege said, adding that the family would soon make a decision about continuing life support.
After shooting Hege and Dunakin, the gunman fled on foot, police said, leading to an intense manhunt. Two hours later, officers found the gunman inside a nearby apartment building.
When a SWAT team entered, the gunman opened fire, police said. Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, were killed and a third officer was grazed by a bullet, police said.
Officers returned fire, killing Mixon, police said.
Mixon had previously served six years in state prison for assault with a firearm during an armed robbery in San Francisco, the family said. While he was in Corcoran state prison, he married his childhood girlfriend, they said.
Mixon's uncle, 38-year-old Curtis Mixon of Fremont, said his nephew had become depressed because as a convicted felon he could not find work.


I am a Police Explorer for the Local Police here in Fairfield, California. Fairfield is about 40 miles NW of Oakland. This hits me hard knowing that four fellow officers (we are considered officers) will not be returning home.

I ask all of you to take a moment and pray for the families of these fallen heros.

 

Sickening...

Prayers go out to the families.

 

I agree-absolutely disgusting. I hope the perp(s) get ther just dues-paid in full.

 

The guy who shot them was found about 2 hours later held up in an apartment about 2 blocks down the street. The guy was shot and killed by S.W.A.T, while S.W.A.T lost two to the gunman.

 

Thanks for (to borrow a line from the late great Paul Harvey) "The Rest Of The Story." Im a small City guy, and ever since moving to one of the Countries largest--im simply amazed at all the various kinds of deaths and killings they have here. I doubt this is a place im ever going to get used to. San Antonio-here I come-as soon as it's possible. :-(

 

The city I live in has a little over 100,000 people in it. It use to be a quiet little town, until about 5 years ago. Ever since then, the crime rate has gone up, and the local police department had to purchase a "BEARCAT" which is an APC for S.W.A.T. It scares the s*** out of everyone who has been living here for a while, that the "locals" need an APC.

Just to give a hint on our crime stats: http://www.ci.fairfield.ca.us/files/part1yearly.pdf

Sorry, didn't mean to go off topic, but I was just answering Evans.

 

Thanks for the reply and im sorta on topic. I think it was about 10 days ago-a Policeman here in Houston was shot in the face by the guy he was serving a Warrent on-who is a known drug dealer. The drug dealer claimed he didn't know who was trying to come into his house (this happned in broad daylight) and all the Policemen present were wearing police officers uniforms """must have been too much glare from all the sunshine""" and they were wearing their IDs and Badges) and the drug dealer said he couldn't ID them as policemen even though there were about twenty of them out there with their marked police cars and such.

I'll almost bet that some STUPID liberal Judge-will believe this creeps story. :headbash:

 

The last policeman to expire as a consequence of this "event" happened this morning, since he had been kept on life support so that his organs could be harvested. After the last of his viable organs and tissues had been optained, he was removed from life support.

 

Hi Clint, thanks for the sad update. Im glad that others will live because of what he had to give. :-(

 

Here's a link to that article, sorry I didn't get it back to ya sooner but I lost track of where I read it:

Hospital: Officer shot in Oakland taken off life support, brings death toll to 4, plus gunman -- Newsday.com

As you said, at least some good will come of this awful event. This is exactly why, even at my age, I continue to have my "donor" card and my "donor" spot checked on my licence in my wallet at all time. If they (anyone) can find any parts usable, they are welcome to them. I'm done with 'em. Sadly the way I've treated my body over the 60 years I've been in charge there probably isn't much of use. My heart/lung block might be good, quit smoking twenty years ago and my blood pressure is always low (129/75 normally), I check it every morning at home.

 

If the officer did not ID himself and the rest by saying, "Police, Search Warrant." the the officer was in the wrong doing. But, the thing is, officers don't wear their ID's when they have on their uniforms and badges are not polished enough and don't have enough open space on the face to glare. And now the charges of Murder of Manslaughter can be added on to what he is being arrested for, depending on how the shooting took place. Unlawful discharge of a weapon can be added on also.

 

There was a very famous case in the UK where an undercover policeman in the grounds of a suspects house was confronted and then stabbed to death. At the resulting trial a self-defence explaination was accepted.
Noye was later convicted of the 'road rage' stabbing murder of a motorist.
BBC News | UK | Murderer Noye's life of crime

 

The whole thing is a tragedy. I certainly feel terrible for the four affected families and their friends and colleagues.

But I wonder how the State of California's Parole Board feels now? If I were on that board, I hope I'd done the right thing: NO parole in the first place!

Here's the time line of events: Timeline: Lovelle Mixon's parole record - Los Angeles Times

 

Since there was a warrant our for his arrest, then why didnt they serve the warrant to get him. Since he was on parole, he can't go far.

I bet CPB feels stupid for not getting him before all this happens.

 

Hi Clint, RocketF/

Clint thanks for the link to that story I appreciate it.

RocketF/ thanks for the additional but, officers do indeed wear their IDs along with their badges. If not in Houston-they sure do wear them in the Corpus Christi Police Departments. I don't know about Houston Police since I have not seen one yet-but have seen and met a few who are with the Constables and Sheriffs Offices. I know the Constables in my area do because iv'e seen them in wear on their uniforms.

About that policeman not IDing himself--I don't know as I have not heard much more than what I originally posted BUT, the thing is-is that that criminal was not blind and could easily see uniformed officers and their Patrol vehicles park all around his property. Said criminal was of the mind to go out in a blaze of glory.

 

I remember seeing this on the news Sun morning in Denver... it makes me sad for the families involved. This quote really bothers me..."We lose officers about every 57 hours in this country" - I work in Communications, and deal with police and fire calls all day. Count your blessings and hug the ones you love. Unfortunately, the world we live in is far from perfect.

"As long as karma exists, the world changes. There will always be
karma to be taken care of." - Nina Hagen

Thank you for sharing RF

Nav

 

I've never seen officers wear their ID's while in full uniform. How ever, it is a must to have it with you at all times.

It hit everyone hard here in the California Bay Area. It hits me hard in two ways. One was being that I'm a Police Explorer for the local police here, and it hurts me knowing that four fellow officers are not coming home. The second way is that someone My family considers to be one of us, is a police officer in the district this happened in. This is something that will never be forgotten.

 

What city in California, if i may ask?