Richmond police officer shot, barricaded woman arrested after hours-long standoff
A Richmond police officer was shot and injured after responding to a wellness check Thursday evening, police said, and a barricaded woman was arrested following a standoff punctuated by multiple gunshots.
The incident began at about 6:41 p.m. Thursday when the Contra Costa County behavioral response team, known as A3, was contacted to perform a mental health check at a home on Key Boulevard, east of San Pablo Avenue and south of MacDonald Avenue near the El Cerrito city limit. The Richmond Police Department said that A3 requested that officers accompany the response team to the location.
As soon as the first officer arrived, the officer was hit by gunfire, police said. The officer was taken to a local hospital in stable condition and is expected to survive. No shots were fired by officers during the incident, police said.
Police said the suspect barricaded herself inside the home and continued to fire indiscriminately from within the home, with several rounds hitting a patrol vehicle, other vehicles and neighboring homes. No other injuries were reported.
"Given the number of rounds fired, this incident could have ended with many additional injuries or several losses of life," said Richmond Police Chief Timothy Simmons at a late-night press conference.
The police department's SWAT unit responded along with sheriff's deputies, the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department, and the El Cerrito Police Department. A crisis negotiation team established contact with the suspect to try to find a peaceful outcome; later, chemical agents were used to gain her compliance, police said.
The suspect eventually walked out of the home and was arrested without further incident, police said. A shelter-in-place order for the immediate area was lifted at around 11 p.m.
Simmons said it was not yet determined what charges the woman was facing, and her identity was not immediately disclosed.
The injured officer has more than 20 years of service with the department, Simmons said, and was in serious but stable condition.
Police said additional information will be provided as the investigation progresses.
