Former Oakland Police Captain Wounded During Fatal Shooting At Gas Station
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A decorated, retired Oakland police captain, Ersie Joyner, was shot in an apparent robbery Thursday afternoon at gas station off Interstate 980 in Oakland.
Ersie Joyner was at Highland Hospital being treated for multiple gunshot wounds, Alameda County Sheriff spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly confirmed to KPIX. Thursday night, a law enforcement source told KPIX that Joyner was out of surgery and recovering in the ICU at Highland Hospital after being shot six times.
From start to finish, the incident lasted less than a minute.
Surveillance video obtained by KPIX shows Joyner pumping gas when three men rush him from a vehicle on the other side of the pump. One suspect appears to grab the cellphone Joyner was holding in his hand and other suspects appear to be digging in Joyner's pockets, then pull a chain off his neck. Joyner does not appear to struggle with the men but, as the suspects open Joyner's car's doors and one appears to take his backpack, Joyner pulls out a pistol and opens fire.
The video appears to show Joyner shooting and killing one suspect then another suspect shoots Joyner.
The shooting happened around 1 p.m. in the 1700 block of Castro Street in West Oakland, according to ShotSpotter data. Responding officers arrived on the scene to find Joyner and one other man suffering from gunshot wounds.
One suspect died at the scene and two others fled in a black Nissan sedan. The deceased suspect's identity was withheld until his family was notified.
Joyner served with the Oakland police department for 28 years. He made a name for himself in Bay Area law enforcement in the 2000s as head of Ceasefire, a strategy using police, prosecutors, community leaders and service providers to meet with reputed gang members to reduce gun violence. The strategy has seen success and has been emulated in other cities.
Currently, Joyner is a security consultant for several cannabis-related businesses in Oakland. Investigators are trying to determine whether or not it was a targeted attack.
The shooting death was the city's 115th homicide of the year.
When the incident was first reported, Oakland officers responded in disbelief when they heard the call go out on the radio.
"OK 1 Adam 4, we need Code 3 units. Ersie Joyner is here on scene and he's shot," said an officer arriving at the scene.
Another officer was heard asking, "A-1 go with that again?" The first officer replies, "Ersie Joyner is here on scene. He's shot multiple times."
"This today shows us how brazen these individuals involved in this activity can be," said Oakland police chief LeRonne Armstrong during a press conference Thursday afternoon at Highland Hospital.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the OPD Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821 or the TIP LINE at (510) 238-7950.
KPIX correspondent Katie Nielsen contributed to this report
