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Shots Fired at Alameda Coast Guard Base After U-Haul Reverses Towards Officers
Alameda, CA – A tense Thursday evening erupted in gunfire at a U.S. Coast Guard base in Alameda when officers opened fire on a U-Haul truck that suddenly reversed towards their position. The incident, which was captured on video, occurred just after 10 p.m. on the bridge leading to the island, near Oakland’s Embarcadero and Livingston Street.
The shooting transpired hours after protesters, demonstrating against a now-canceled immigration crackdown in the San Francisco Bay Area, had largely dispersed from the base entrance. The FBI has launched an investigation into the matter.
Authorities confirmed that Coast Guard police officers discharged their weapons at the U-Haul truck as it backed up towards the island’s entrance. A law enforcement source informed KTVU that two individuals were reportedly struck: the driver of the U-Haul and another person not inside the vehicle. Their conditions remain unknown at this time.
Video footage, recorded by KPIX photographer Rick Villaroman and later posted to X (formerly Twitter), shows a line of officers with drawn weapons standing in front of a parked police vehicle as the U-Haul begins to reverse. Multiple shouts of “Stop” can be heard before officers unleash a barrage of bullets. The truck then abruptly halts as shots continue, before accelerating forward and fleeing the scene.
Villaroman’s video also captures the moment the truck comes to a stop, with a zoom-in on the driver, who appears to be wearing a mask. Officers in the background are heard yelling commands to “Get out,” but the driver reportedly refused, remaining in the vehicle before quickly speeding away.
“He just hit the gas and sped towards them,” Villaroman recounted to CBS News, estimating that “About 20 to 30 rounds” were fired.
Witnesses reported that the driver fled after the shooting, only to return minutes later, parking the bullet-riddled truck nearby before walking away. Villaroman stated he observed no blood inside the vehicle.
The Coast Guard released an official statement regarding the incident around 2 a.m. Friday morning.
“Coast Guard personnel issued multiple verbal commands to stop the vehicle, the driver failed to comply and proceeded to put the vehicle in reverse,” officials stated. “When the vehicle’s actions posed a direct threat to the safety of Coast Guard and security personnel, law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of live fire.”
No Coast Guard personnel were reported injured in the incident. Additional details concerning the driver have not yet been released.