OAKALND, Calif. (KRON) -- A stand-off between police and a man armed with a gun came to a peaceful resolution after officers accepted help from an unlikely source to make it happen.
KRON4's Haaziq Madyun spoke to the chief of police and one of his bitter rivals about how they did it.
It was first reported to OPD as a vehicle collision around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday on East 25th Street in Oakland.
However, it turned out to be something potentially more dangerous.
"Officers responded to the scene. They observed a firearm in the lap of the individual," Oakland Police Chief Leronne Armstrong said.
Chief Armstrong says his officers followed protocol, retreated to a safe distance, created time and space between themselves and the man in the car.
"We had our tactical negotiation team there," Chief Armstrong said. "A negotiator attempted to make contact with the individual in the vehicle but we were unsuccessful."
That's when this incident took an unprecedented turn.
"From the time that we got on the scene, the officers that were there knew who we were, made sure that we got up-to-date information," Anti Police-Terror Project Co-Founder Cat Brooks said.
A community member alerted Cat Brooks and the Anti Police-Terror Project about the situation. Brooks arrived on the scene and offered this option to the officers.
"Let's get somebody he knows who can help navigate the situation," Brooks said. "The community got the mom there. as soon as the mom and sister showed up, I was able to talk to mom. She was like they're going to kill him. I was like, not today they're not."
The first-ever collaboration between OPD and ATPT working together to bring a non-violent end to a potentially life-threatening situation was a success.
"I appreciate Cat Brooks' effort," Chief Armstrong said. "That was very helpful introducing us to the mom and letting us know that she was there but I give tremendous credit to the mom as well."
Brooks sees this as a pivotal moment for Oakland police and those who reimagine how cops interact with the community.
"The best-case scenario is for cops to recognize that we are in this day and that activists to recognize that we are in a particular moment and how do we move these agendas forward together to save lives because ultimately that's the goal," Brooks said.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/33Ye9Fz
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