A police chase on Wednesday that the California Highway Patrol says was called off early culminated in the death of a bystander, Marvin Boomer, an Oakland teacher. Immediately, the incident was drafted into California’s ongoing debate about police pursuit policy and whether the theoretical crime-fighting benefits of giving cops more leeway to conduct chases outweigh the life-and-death risk they pose to the community.
Below are summaries of recent incidents in Oakland that, whether in outcome or scope, resemble last week’s pursuit and collision. The list represents a fraction of the deadly traffic violence in the city over the last five years, which has taken the lives of nearly 200 people and injured hundreds more.
We’ve reached out to Oakland police, the California Highway Patrol, and the local courts for updates on the criminal cases, and will update the story if we receive any.
February 5, 2020: A man sleeping in a car with a gun on 89th Avenue in East Oakland awoke to find himself surrounded by OPD officers. According to police, he immediately sped off, ramming through four patrol cars to get away. He led police on a chase for several blocks that ended in front of the Coliseum BART when the wheels of his stolen car melted or spun out of the car’s rims…