Update, 12 p.m. The Berkeley Police Department has confirmed that officers responded to the 1500 block of Alcatraz Avenue shortly after 8 p.m. “on a report of a suspect threatening a woman while brandishing a gun,” said Berkeley Police Capt. Erik Upson via email.
After arriving, police learned the man might have fled into a nearby apartment. Police “contained” the apartment and several neighbors were evacuated as police tried to communicate with him.
Officers on scene ultimately determined he had left the area prior to their arrival. Upson said the the case remains under investigation.
Upson also confirmed, in response to a question from a Berkeleyside reader, that police had been dispatched to the same area earlier in the evening on a related case.
Original story, Aug. 14, 11:36 p.m. Berkeley Police are on scene in the 1500 blocks of Alcatraz Avenue and Harmon Street, near Sacramento Street, after a report shortly after 8 p.m. of a man with a gun, according to unconfirmed scanner recordings.
Berkeleyside has several calls in to the police department and will update this story when more information is available. [Update: As of 4:50 a.m., the Berkeley Police Department had not responded to repeated requests for information about this incident.]
According to scanner audio, police initially were called to the 1500 block of Alcatraz in South Berkeley for a report of a young man with a gun who was outside an apartment building.
One caller told police the man was making verbal threats about shooting someone.
The man went inside an apartment as police were responding to the scene and setting up units in the area, including on Harmon Street.
Police switched to a tactical channel on the scanner — which is not available to the public — shortly after 8:40 p.m.
According to one local resident, police have been in the area from 8:30 p.m. and are still on scene.
This story is developing and Berkeleyside will update it as more information becomes available. Anyone with tips or photographs may share them at tips@berkeleyside.com.
