An incident on the Berkeley waterfront in the early hours of Saturday, July 29, resulted in one man being sent to the hospital with gunshot wounds and a vehicle partially in the water, according to Berkeley Police.
Police responded to a report of gunshots in the Berkeley Marina area, at the foot of University Avenue near the Berkeley Pier, at about 3:40 a.m. Saturday, according to BPD’s Lt. Andrew Rateaver.
Once there, officers located “at least one victim” suffering gunshot wounds and an unoccupied car that had gone off the roadway, and was partially on the seawall, and partially in the water just south of the pier.
The motive for the shooting has not been determined and is being investigated.
The victim, who is not a Berkeley resident, was transported to Highland Hospital by Berkeley paramedics. His condition is not known.
No additional victims were believed to be in the water and authorities are not treating the incident as a hazardous material event, Lt. Rateaver told Berkeleyside.
Several shell casings were located along Seawall Drive, and for a time officers closed the roadway to process the scene.
During the investigation, officers located a person, not a Berkeley resident, who was arrested on unrelated charges, but is a person of interest in the case.
Lt. Rateaver added there was concern about the fact that the Berkeley Kite Festival, which takes place at nearby Cesar Chavez Park, was scheduled to begin after daybreak.
“Working collaboratively with the Berkeley Fire Department, Parks and Waterfront staff and crews from the Berkeley Public Works Department, the car was ultimately removed off of the seawall and the roadway opened. Officers remained in the area to facilitate traffic flow and ensure safety,” Lt. Rateaver reported.
Unconfirmed scanner audio reviewed by Berkeleyside suggest that dispatch received a call about shots fired and a vehicle that had “driven off the embankment.” A man with bloody hands emerged from the car, described as a Hispanic male, aged 23-28, 5’4″ wearing a grey hoodie, and with slicked-back hair.
On finding the man, officers reported that he said he had been the victim of a robbery. He had sustained a gunshot wound in the neck, and possibly the arm.
When they located the car in the water, police reported there was blood “all over inside the vehicle,” according to the scanner.
Anyone with information about this incident may call the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5900.
