The 2022 Berkeley gunfire map
As of June 14, two people had been killed and eight had been wounded in shootings in Berkeley this year. There have been 22 confirmed shootings.
Crime & Safety
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Top Stories
Update: Berkeley woman, 31, charged with arson after Albany Hill fire
Two fires were reported in Albany Sunday afternoon. A security guard told police a Berkeley woman may have set one of them.
Update: Departing Berkeley fire chief to join San Rafael Fire
Abraham Roman will assume the position of deputy chief of operations at the San Rafael Fire Department on June 27.Â
How Yesenia Sanchez toppled incumbent Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern
Sanchez, a sheriff’s commander, won 52% of the vote, clinching the primary and sending Ahern into retirement.
Berkeley honors JT Street, 19-year city worker, who died in motorcycle crash
Police do not yet know what may have caused the crash but are looking into whether Street may have experienced a medical emergency.
Former Cal football player charged with felony assault after Elmwood attacks
The player, who is a UC Berkeley student, missed all of the 2020 football season and nearly all of 2021 due to injury. The team released him in April.
Policing
New Berkeley police ‘transparency hub’ website brings more BPD data to light
How many police calls involved homelessness or mental health? Are arrests up or down compared to last year? You now have a way to find out.
In 7-2 vote, Berkeley council approves broad package to reimagine policing
Thursday’s vote was a budget referral: The package will come back in June so officials can decide what will actually be funded in the coming years.
Officials say yes to ‘new vision of public safety’ — and more cops, too
“When we work together as a whole community we can make real progress,” Mayor Jesse ArreguĂn said Thursday.
Police union files state labor complaint, claiming missteps by new oversight board
It says unlawful changes were made to police misconduct investigations.
Police misconduct hearing put off after cop union said Berkeley broke the law
The city did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Berkeleyside.
Open patrol beats are the biggest driver of police officer overtime, audit finds
Security work for outside entities, such as UC Berkeley, the Apple store and other Fourth Street businesses, made up 10% of the overtime costs in FY20.
Homicide
Killer apologizes to mother of slain teen: ‘Before you know it, I shot Seth’
Tony Walker described himself as a “washed-up nobody” who probably deserved to die in prison.
A Berkeley man was convicted of killing a Cal student. He must now explain why
Until now, the motive for the fatal shooting has been shrouded in mystery. That is set to change Monday as part of a recent plea deal.
Police: Man shot friend, staged suicide scene to get away with murder
According to detectives, the killer’s grandmother watched him stage the crime scene and waited to call police so he could make his escape.
Police arrest Berkeley man, 20, after fatal shooting on Channing Way
A young woman in her 20s was also wounded in Tuesday night’s shooting, but she is expected to survive.
Shootings
Police: Man wounded in shooting in West Berkeley
More people have been wounded or killed by gunfire in Berkeley this year than in all of 2021.
Berkeley police shooting of man armed with chain was within policy, BPD found
A review by the city’s Police Accountability Board can’t proceed until the man’s criminal case has concluded. A lawsuit against the city remains on hold for the same reason.
It took 9 days to arrest suspect in mass shooting plot at Berkeley High. Police explain why
A BHS student who amassed parts to build explosives and assault rifles got them legally, police say, and was not ready to carry out an attack.
Boy, 17, shot during altercation at Civic Center Park in downtown Berkeley
Police have detained one person in connection with the incident, but others remain at large, BPD said.
Berkeley police investigate gunfire, car crash on Alcatraz
One neighbor told Berkeleyside they were trying to nap when they “heard a series of gunshots and a crash followed by someone screaming.”
Traffic safety
Berkeley man dies in solo motorcycle crash on Adeline Street
Police performed CPR on the man until firefighters arrived to take over life-saving efforts, but they were unsuccessful.
CHP: Hit-and-run DUI crash causes major injuries to officer, driver arrested
As of Thursday, the officer remained in the hospital but is now in stable condition.
Police: Driver with loaded gun arrested after running stop sign near Malcolm X
The man dropped off a young child at Malcolm X Elementary just after running the stop sign, BPD said.
8 people died in Berkeley crashes in 2021, overall collisions were up 34%
It was the highest number of traffic deaths the city has seen since at least 1984, the Berkeley Police Department found.
Police arrest hit-and-run suspect found hiding in hotel room
A 58-year-old Berkeley man was charged with vehicular hit-and-run causing injury, driving without a license and parole violation.
DoorDash should stop texting its drivers while they’re moving, wrongful death lawsuit says
“If they don’t revise their practice of texting drivers while driving with unmounted cellphones,” said Mark Webb, “there will be more accidents.”
Fatalities
BPD to review inebriated man’s death after release from police custody
The Police Accountability Board has indicated plans to launch its own independent investigation.
Update: Richmond man found dead on Ashby Avenue was killed by driver
Authorities have identified the man who died Nov. 17 as Angel Barrera of Richmond. He was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
Update: Man who died in marina crash ID’d as James Israel of San Anselmo
“We hope the coroner’s investigation and autopsy may reveal more,” police said Thursday.
Fires
Fire season is underway: Here’s what’s new in Berkeley this year
“We know we have big challenges ahead,” Berkeley Fire Chief Abe Roman said recently. “We all have to adapt to this new normal.”
Arsonist in People’s Park set tent on fire with man inside, police say
A man living in the park has been hospitalized after someone lit his tent on fire Tuesday morning and hit him multiple times with a golf club, police say.
Under threat from climate change, Berkeley’s family camps adapt to survive
As Berkeley Tuolumne Camp reopens, the city’s cherished rustic retreats are facing growing threats from wildfires and landslides.
Crime trends
Officials vow to increase police staffing, with available officers at historic low
The pledge came amid a lengthy discussion on the annual crime report, use-of-force and police stop data, traffic collision statistics and more.
Police should track mental health, homeless calls better, new audit says
The 80-page analysis — the first known assessment of its kind — was published Thursday by city auditor Jenny Wong.
‘Alarming’ crime uptick brings local leaders together for Zoom town hall
“We must employ a variety of tactics to deter, intervene and investigate crimes,” West Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin said during Wednesday’s Zoom.
Cyclists report armed robberies of bikes while riding in the East Bay hills
“Our community needs to be made aware,” said a cyclist who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is underway.
Police investigate robbery series that started in mid-March
Berkeley Police Chief Jen Louis said detectives have “some very promising investigative leads” and that she’s put extra officers on patrol.
Sex crimes
Berkeley man charged with sex crime series in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland
Police say the earliest incident took place March 30 when a man who said he had a knife sexually assaulted a 9-year-old in Albany. This was followed by a sexual assault on Colusa Avenue.
Man gets 24-year sentence in armed Berkeley stranger rape series from 2008
The trail went cold for nearly a decade until police got the man’s fingerprints due to a minor traffic violation in 2016.
Police ask for help to find assailant from North Berkeley sex crime Thursday
A woman was walking on Colusa Avenue when a stranger approached her from behind, threatened to have a knife and then sexually assaulted her.
Crime roundup: Carjacking at BART, shooting suspect charged, $50K reward offered in cold case murder
Berkeley native Tobias Eagle was just 30 years old when he was fatally shot in his backyard on Blake Street. Detectives are still trying to solve the case.
Assaults
Man, 22, sent for psych eval after series of attacks Monday in the Elmwood
Police said the man punched two men and a woman in separate locations Monday afternoon, sending one of the men to the hospital.
Man charged with felony assault after northwest Berkeley stabbing
The victim, a 42-year-old man, was stabbed twice in the arm and taken to Highland Hospital.
Police: Man arrested after assaulting 80-year-old woman, trying to kick her dog
According to court records, Brett Walker was on probation at the time of his arrest due to a conviction for felony assault in December 2021.
Berkeley man charged with elder abuse, threatening parents while out on bail
Authorities say Yarman Smith, 33, grabbed a “butcher-style knife” and threatened to kill his parents and himself in late December.
Disaster preparedness
Berkeley Marina boat dwellers evacuated due to tsunami advisory
The order came after an underwater volcano erupted near Tonga.
No, wildfire season in Berkeley isn’t necessarily over yet
This month’s rains helped tamper down fire danger, but experts say the East Bay is not out of the woods yet.
A lesson in how to escape wildfire by foot in the Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Path Wanderers Association held an educational “Escape from the Hills” event to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills Firestorm.
Berkeley to Nixle users: Sign up now for AC Alert if you haven’t already
Berkeley will no longer funnel messages from AC Alert to Nixle to prevent redundant messages and confusion, the city announced.
Related stories
Student, 16, arrested on suspicion of mass shooting, bomb plot at BHS
Police say they seized “parts to explosives and assault rifles, several knives” and other concerning materials at the boy’s Berkeley home.
