Attempted robbery of Oakland’s violence prevention chief during TV interview ends without injury

(Refugio Garcia/NewsBreak)

(OAKLAND, Calif.) The attempted robbery of Oakland’s violence prevention chief outside Oakland City Hall On Monday ended without injury, East Bay Times reports.

The incident happened during an interview with Guillermo Cespedes, the city’s violence prevention chief, when two suspects approached at about 3 p.m. and demanded the camera man hand over the camera at gunpoint.

A scuffle then ensued between the suspects and a security guard and “the armed security officer pulled his firearm out, and directed the suspects to leave. The suspects immediately left the area without the camera,” according to police.

Several officers responded to the scene, including Oakland’s police spokesperson.

“Please be advised that the suspects are still outstanding,” police said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to be vigilant of their surroundings and report all crimes. Please stay safe.”

The incident involving the interview with Cespedes happened only hours after a press conference with Oakland Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong where he discussed the recent police budget that diverted $18 million in funding that Mayor Libby Schaaf had pushed for to fund violence prevention efforts by OPD.

Cespedes joined the department in 2019 after helping facilitate a significant drop in gang-related murders, serving as the gang czar in Los Angeles.

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