Koichi Kawakami
Koichi Kawakami, Photo: BPD

Update, 11:33 p.m. BPD watch commander Lt. Mike Durbin confirmed that Kawakami has been located.

Update, 11:22 p.m. A BPD officer has found the missing man, according to scanner traffic reviewed by Berkeleyside.

Koichi Kawakami was located at San Pablo Avenue and Oregon Street, about a mile from his home on Ward. He’s being given a ride home now, according to scanner traffic.

Update, 10:55 p.m. Police say Kawakami was last seen around 9:40 p.m. near San Pablo Avenue and Allston Way walking north on Allston.

According to unconfirmed scanner traffic, police are using a K-9 unit (police dog) to help in their search.

Original post, 8:47 p.m. The Berkeley Police Department is asking for the public’s help to find a missing “at risk” man, 81-year-old Koichi Kawakami.

According to a Nixle alert sent out just before 8 p.m., Kawakami is Asian, 5 foot 1, and 135 pounds.

He was last seen at 4 p.m. in the 1900 block of Ward Street wearing a gray shirt and gray pants. He was also wearing a black leather jacket and had a black cane.

The block on Ward where Kawakami was last seen is in South Berkeley between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street.

BPD says Kawakami has the early stages of dementia and suffered a stroke two years ago.

He “has limited verbal speech and walks with a cane,” according to the Nixle alert.

Police ask anyone who has seen Kawakami to call BPD at 510-981-5900.

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Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist of the Year...