WARNING: Some may find the video at the top of the story hard to watch.
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – The Oakland Police Department released body-camera video of an encounter with a man, having a mental health issue and holding a gun, who shot at officers. Police said it shows the courage it takes to be an OPD officer.
The video is from September 2021. It shows gunfire exchanged between police officers and 50-year-old Jeffrey Carter. Oakland police said it released body camera and security video of the incident to be transparent
Police said they got a call about a man with a gun on Telegraph Avenue and 21st Street at just before 7:00 a.m. They say Carter fired first and hit one of the two officers. Both officers fired back, hitting the suspect twice.
Video from the scene shows several evidence markers on the street. Police said the suspect then got up and ran a few blocks away towards Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and officers followed.
Next, they ended up at an apartment building where police fired a beanbag to stop Carter, but it did not work. Chief LeRonne Armstrong put out this video message about what happened next.
“The Oakland Police Department’s crisis officers, tactical negotiations and Alameda County mental health professionals on scene communicated with Carter, who was armed with a knife and stabbing himself,” he said.
After a 30-minute standoff, officers took Carter into custody, got him treatment for his injuries and brought him to jail.
Oakland police said the wounded officer was shot in the leg and is still on leave while he recovers. His partner returned to work.
