Michael Babe Hamilton. Courtesy: Family photo The family of the young man who died of an apparent suicide at Berkeley High School on Monday told Berkeleyside this week they were not sure how he had ended up there, and said he had been struggling in recent years with drug addiction. Authorities identified the 21-year-old as […]
Mental health
Posted inCrime & Safety, Schools
Update: Man who committed suicide at BHS identified
A young man was found dead on the Berkeley High School campus on Monday, Feb. 17. UPDATE, Feb. 18, 3:55 p.m.: Berkeley Police say the young man who committed suicide on the Berkeley High campus was 21-year-old Michael B. Hamilton. There is nothing to suggest that the death wasn’t a suicide, said Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer […]
Posted inCity, Crime & Safety
Berkeley slapped with lawsuit over Kayla Moore’s death
Kayla Moore’s sister, Maria, and father, Arthur, spoke before the City Council last year. Photo: Emilie Raguso Kayla Moore’s sister, Maria, and father, Arthur, spoke before the City Council last year. Photo: Emilie Raguso Berkeley police used excessive force when attempting to arrest Kayla Moore and declined to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when she stopped […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime & Safety
Vigil, rally mark anniversary of in-custody death
Family members of Kayla Moore say they’re still fighting for justice after her death in police custody last year. Photo: Emilie Raguso Family members of Kayla Moore say they’re still fighting for justice after her death in police custody last year. Photo: Emilie Raguso One year after Kayla Moore died during a police investigation into […]
Posted inCrime
Berkeley Police: Drug busts, shoplifters sought and more
Police have identified a pattern of commercial burglaries in downtown Berkeley in October. Image: Berkeley Police Earlier this year, the Berkeley Police Department relaunched its monthly newsletter to inform the community about notable arrests and incidents, as well as crime prevention tips and safety resources. Along with beat maps and police contacts for each neighborhood, the newsletter highlights arrests […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
City leaders weigh in on idea of Tasers in Berkeley
The Berkeley Police Association, the union for the rank and file, has been making the case for officers to have Tasers. Photo: Creative Commons Last week the Berkeley Police Assocation put out a public demand for Tasers for local officers, and Berkeleyside followed up with several questions to city leaders about the issue. Several leaders […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
After suicide attempt, police union says Tasers needed
Berkeley Police sergeants Emily Murphy (left) and Chris Stines first publicly made the case for Tasers at a press conference in May (file photo). Photo: Lance Knobel The Berkeley Police Association says Tasers could have helped prevent the near-death of a man who stabbed himself repeatedly last week in Berkeley, according to a statement released […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Breaking: Police investigate possible suicide on Milvia
Police are investigating a possible suicide in an apartment near Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto. Photo: Tracey Taylor Berkeley Police are on the scene in the 1600 block of Milvia Street following a 911 call about a loud report at 12:34 p.m., authorities said. “We have folks out there investigating now,” said Berkeley Police Lt. Andrew Rateaver shortly before 2 […]
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley Food and Housing Project wins $1M grant
Veterans and members of the Berkeley Food and Housing Project gather for a Veterans’ Day lunch in 2011. Photo: BFHP Veterans and members of the Berkeley Food and Housing Project gather for a Veterans’ Day lunch in 2011. Photo: BFHP By Camille Baptista Berkeley Food and Housing Project was recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Berkeley police union makes the case for Tasers
Sgts Emily Murphy (left) and Chris Stines present the survey results at a press conference on Wed. morning. Photo: Lance Knobel The Berkeley Police Association (BPA) today released the results of an email survey which it says show residents supporting the investigation of the use of Tasers in Berkeley. “We want Tasers now,” said Sgt. […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime & Safety
Police union: Should Berkeley have Tasers?
Berkeley is one of the few cities in the Bay Area that does not equip its police officers with Tasers, electroshock weapons that send an electrical current through the body to temporarily paralyze muscles The Berkeley Police Officers Association has sent out a survey to 19,000 Berkeley residents asking them their opinion on police use […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Name released after death in custody, cause unknown
Authorities have released the name of the person who died in custody on Feb. 12 — after police were called to a downtown Berkeley apartment building for a mental health evaluation — as Xavier Christopher Moore. Moore was a 41-year-old Berkeley resident, according to the Alameda County coroner’s office, which released Moore’s name earlier this week. Moore’s cause […]
