A young man police say was targeted in “numerous recent” attempted shootings in Berkeley has been charged, along with two others, after a fight involving guns in late March, authorities report.
In court papers, police say all three men are “suspected to be participants of a known south Berkeley Street Gang.” The name of that gang was not provided.
The fight that prompted the arrests took place March 23 shortly before 6 p.m. when a local resident saw a physical altercation underway at California and Ward streets involving at least four people: Reginald Jackson, 20, Judah Pree, 19, and another 19-year-old man. (Editor’s note: Berkeleyside removed the third man’s name from the story at his request in 2021 after learning that the charges against him were ultimately dismissed.)
In court papers, police said Jackson and Pree each drew a gun during the fight between the 19-year-old and another young man. During the investigation, police recovered at least two guns they say were discarded after the fight.
Police arrested Pree and the other 19-year-old that day, according to court papers. But authorities said Jackson was able to escape. Last week Thursday, officers arrested him at the corner of Sacramento Street and Ashby Avenue. According to court papers, he admitted to being with the other men during the fight, and said he tossed a gun on California Street that day as police arrived.
At the time of his arrest, Jackson was on bail for two cases in Berkeley: an attempted robbery and another incident involving the obstruction of a peace officer, police wrote.
Pree and the other 19-year-old are now facing gun charges related to carrying a loaded and concealed unregistered firearm, and the manufacture or sale of a large-capacity magazine.
Jackson is facing charges for carrying a concealed, loaded firearm, and for “unlawful firearm activity,” because of a juvenile offense that prohibited him from having a gun. That offense, according to court papers, was an attempted robbery on Halloween in 2013, when Jackson was 16.
In March of last year, Jackson was arrested in the 2000 block of Ashby Avenue on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, committing a felony while on bail and endangering the health of an elder. He also was arrested in October 2015 on suspicion of a robbery in the 900 block of Heinz Avenue. He has no prior convictions, however, according to court documents.
Police say Jackson was the intended target in multiple recent Berkeley shootings, but provided no further information about which cases those were. This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.
According to online records from the sheriff’s office, Pree is no longer in custody, having posted a bond for $100,000 bail. At the time of his arrest, he also was out on bail for a gun case in San Mateo County, according to court records. Arrest records online say Pree has also been picked up in San Francisco with a concealed weapon with a large-capacity magazine.
The other 19-year-old is being held on $90,000 and Jackson remains in custody on $210,000 bail. They are both at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
All three were charged Monday morning by the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
Pree is scheduled for a plea hearing Tuesday morning. Court dates for the other two men were not listed as of publication time.
