*Oakland Sgt. Mark Dunakin,Sgt. Ervin Romans,Sgt. Daniel Sakai, Murdered By Lovelle Mixon
Published by Staff Writer on March 21, 2009
Three Oakland police officers are dead and a fourth is in “grave condition” after being shot this afternoon by a wanted Oakland parolee in two separate but related shootings.At a news conference tonight at police headquarters, it was announced that the three officers who died were Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35.A fourth officer, Officer John Hege, 41, is in grave condition at Highland Hospital.The first shooting happened after two motorcycle officers, Dunakin and Hege, made a routine traffic stop on a 1995 Buick at 1:08 p.m. in the 7400 block of MacArthur Boulevard, police spokesman Jeff Thomason said.The suspect, Lovelle Mixon, 27, of Oakland, apparently shot the officers while they were near their motorcycles, Field Operations Deputy Chief David Kozicki said.At 1:16 p.m., authorities got a call that the officers had been shot, and minutes later they received word that the suspect had entered a nearby multi-unit apartment complex.The SWAT team was called in, and after repeated attempts to communicate with Mixon, police entered the apartment and were immediately fired upon with an assault weapon.Two officers, Romans and Sakai, were immediately killed, while a third officer was grazed in the head by a bullet. Police have not released the third officer’s name or condition. Other officers immediately returned fire, fatally wounding Mixon. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan said Mixon had an “extensive criminal history”, and had a no-bail warrant for his arrest for violating his parole for assault with a deadly weapon.Dunakin had been with the Oakland Police Department since 1991, while Romans had been there since 1996, Hege since 1999 and Sakai since 2000.Resident Rosa Hernandez, who lives in the 2700 block of 74th
Avenue, said the second set of shootings happened at a three-story apartment building behind a pawn shop at the corner of 74th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. An Oakland resident who wished to be identified as A. Richards was at a friend’s house this afternoon on 74th Avenue across the street from where those shootings happened and said she saw one of the officers being shot as she watched from a front window. She said the officer was standing outside the apartment building in front of heavy-duty brown double doors when there was a loud “boom” and the officer fell backward. Richards said a commotion followed. “All I heard was multiple voices, ‘Officer down, officer down, officer down,’” she said. Richards said two officers grabbed the wounded officer by his armpits and dragged him down the street, leaving behind a pool of blood. She spent the afternoon moving back and forth between the front room of her friend’s home and a back bedroom where she had taken refuge after seeing swarms of police show up with guns drawn.She said police were using her black Ford Contour as a shield. “Every once in a while I’d come to the window and check it out, see if it was OK to leave,” Richards said. Richards said she, her husband and her nephews had been helping their friend move this afternoon and that her 14-year-old nephew had seen a black man wearing a black T-shirt run into the apartment building shortly before police showed up. She said her nephew hadn’t seen a gun and initially didn’t think much of it, but later shared what he had seen with police after learning what had happened. This evening, Richards was still grappling with what she had witnessed.”Everything that I’ve experienced in my life, the bad guy is always behind bars, but this is so different,” she said. Hernandez said around 9:45 p.m. she’d just been let back into her house. She said some of her neighbors who live in the apartment building where the suspect had barricaded himself were still waiting to get back home to see their children. “I’m glad I had my ID, they didn’t really want me to come in,” she said of police. She said 74th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard were still blocked off. Tonight’s news conference was attended by Jordan, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, and state Attorney General Jerry Brown.Dellums said “It’s in these moments that words are extraordinarily inadequate. We come together in shock, in grief, in sorrow.”Jordan said he had received a call from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who released a statement about the shootings this evening. “This is a tragic day for law enforcement everywhere … Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost, the Oakland Police Department and law enforcement officers throughout California during this difficult time,” Schwarzenegger said. Asked how the department is coping with the deaths, Jordan said,
“One thing is clear. These men are very resilient. We’re a big family, and we rely on each other for support.”Thomason said an announcement about funeral arrangements would be made in the coming days. An array of flowers was already set up in the lobby of police headquarters under a wall in tribute to police officers who have given their lives in the line of duty.
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Sgt. Mark Dunakin,Sgt. Daniel Sakai,Sgt. Ervin Romans
Officer John Hege
(7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
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19 so far
Kevin Michaels on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 11:28 pm
My thoughts and prayers are with these officer’s families. May He comfort and strengthen them in the weeks to come.
Scott Castruita on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 12:49 am
My Thoughts And Prayers Are Also With These officer’s Families And Friends And The Oakland Police Department.Please Feel Free To Comment Here But Note, All The Hate Comments Will Not Be Posted So Don’t Waste Your Time. God Bless The True Citizens Of Oakland.
leilaniwhw on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 1:15 am
Comfort and Blessings to the families.
gary lyons on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 5:03 am
I am deeply sadden by this incident. Five families are greeving this day. To my fellow officers Godspeed, thank you for how you lived your lives. Rest in Peace now…
Sas on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 7:23 am
From all of us in the NYPD we off our solemn condolences and the ability to be able to brave through this extremely difficult time.
jasmine on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 8:49 am
OMG me and my mom were really close friends with John Hege.My mom is an OPD dispatcher,I really hope he makes it and god bless those who died.
V.E.G. on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 10:56 am
God bless Daniel Sakai and his family. He is of Japanese origin.
Jesse Schabert on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 12:57 pm
Mark was a year behind me at Foothill HS, I remember him as a baby faced kid from the football team, who could still put the hurt on you on the field, but would help you up with a big goofy smile. My prayers to his family, I hope they can find peace during this very difficult and seemingly senseless time. The world has lost a good man.
Citizen on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 1:06 pm
While this is a totally bizzare incident – nothing like it has happened in CA in 20, perhaps 40 years – I think LE’s in urban areas should get special consideration for the next few months. It sounds like the criminal had some sense of tactics and might have planned for this type of event, maybe it’s jailhouse talk. I think there’s a risk of copycat incidents, sort of like school shootings which were aggravated by the publicity and hand-wringing given each one. Criminals of all stripes celebrate evil and some will dream of trying the same type of thing. The nut-case/terrorist types among them like the fact that they’ll get themselves killed in the process.
I don’t know exactly how to prevent this from happenening, but perhaps allowing cops to call for more than one backup, with at least not easily seen, ANY time the situtaion feels risky, or delay a traffic stop if something doesn’t seem right would be a good idea. We can’t ask LE’s to walk into traps… it’s the perps who need to get trapped!
I think it’s important to cut this off before it happens, even if it means 5 man-hours to do a traffic stop that would have taken 1 officer 45 min before, or waiting hours to approach a building until a safe method can be worked out. Lives are more important than $$!
I’m not an LE nor related to any, no axe to grind. I just don’t want this to happen again.
Gerard Dunphy (Newfoundland, Canada) on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 1:06 pm
Rest in Peace dear brothers. You will forever be remembered for your heroic service to your community. My heartfelt condolances to your families, friends and also your colleages at the OPD who share in your loss. God bless those who continue in service. Also, thoughts and prayers to officer John Hege for a speedy recovery.
Gerard Dunphy (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
Concerned Citizen on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 1:52 pm
Would like to know why this guy was on parole to begin with. These guys should be confined to a 100 pound lead weight if they want to go anywhere on parole.
claude on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 5:56 pm
I.m a retired police officer from QUEBEC Canada,,, and i feel sad about this..comfort and blessing to they families…
texmack on Sun, 22nd Mar 2009 9:41 pm
This idiots family said , he was not a monster. Well where I come from, when someone kills 4 policemen because he does not want to go to jail- that equals a monster. Monsters need to be snuffed out. Now if a policeman had killed 4 blacks out there in oakland because he feared for his life. My gosh the protests and marches and complete victimology would start up. Sue the city and state and bullet manufacturer, the gun company. All to set up living with a 40 oz watching Doctor Phil and Oprah. This is the breeding ground of monsters.
Rudy Ferguson on Mon, 23rd Mar 2009 6:38 am
I am retired FBI Special Agent, now living in WV. Everyone is shocked and saddened by this incident. Best wishes and condolences to the families and Oakland PD.
That Girl Site » Blog Archive » Lovelle Mixon: Oakland Police Shooter Kills 4 Cops (Photos, Video) on Mon, 23rd Mar 2009 7:19 am
[...] Photos of the police officers below. More details available at Fugitive Watch. [...]
Dave Mortenson - Fremont, Ca on Mon, 23rd Mar 2009 9:01 am
My heart goes out to the families and OPD. I am so saddened by your loss.
Oakland residents need to step back and rethink. These BRAVE men risk their lives each day for YOU! Show them your support!
Opinion from around the world! on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 10:25 am
My thoughts and prayers go out to all their familys and friends! This is a hugh loss! I have heard several comments regarding, people having no compassion for these officers, These are people whom have no common sense and blatten stupidity! SHAME ON THEM! These officers signed up to serve the community. They are hired with NO CRIMINAL BACK GROUNDS (yet they are up against MANY criminals), they are there to help better the “City of Oakland”. These officers were pulling over a man, whom as we know, had assult weapons, WHICH ARE ILLEGAL, covicted of many horrible crimes (criminal background, does this mean anything) and the people of Oakland want this MONSTER on their streets….am I missing something? Oakland PD deal with “good” but unfortunalty TOO many bad people, who have NO VALUE for LIFE! This was a prime example of that! They are comparing this to Oscar Grant, there is no comparison. Oakland PD and Bart Officers are to differnet entities! This is truely a sad time, when people have no value, for people who try to make things right and stand up for TRASH, like this man, Lovelle Mixon and this, has nothing to do with the fact that he is Afican American, I would say this, if he was white, purple, blue or green! AThis is truely a sad time for Oakland! Peace be with everyone! God bless I
Jarod on Wed, 25th Mar 2009 2:54 pm
My thoughts and prayers go out to all law enforcement. I am sick of watching the interviews on tv, where they are still trying to make this a white and black thing. Also the cops are out to make black peoples lives screwed. They try and make it sound like he came out shooting because he was scared of police. That is no excuse and this was not a black on white thing. infact there are more blacks killing blacks everyday of the week. It is about criminals being bad. There is no excuse for this and this is not the same as the bart shooting that was clearly an accident but they want to hang him.it makes me Ill
Sam Johnson on Fri, 27th Mar 2009 1:11 am
As a retired fire fighter and 10 years as a police officer in the Bay Area My thoughts and prays go to these officers and their families. All you officers need to stay strong at this time for each other and the community that appriciates you.