Man charged with attempted murder of San Leandro police officers in traffic stop shooting
A man was charged with the attempted murder of three San Leandro police officers after a shooting during a traffic stop earlier this month, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
The shooting happened on February 16 at about 8:30 p.m. in the unincorporated community of Ashland. San Leandro police said officers were investigating a vehicular assault when they located the suspect vehicle near 164th Avenue and East 14th Street.
In a press release, the District Attorney's Office said 40-year-old Reynaldo Melendez was driving a 2021 Toyota Tacoma that matched the description of one allegedly used as a weapon during a domestic violence incident in a Walmart parking lot in San Leandro.
The criminal complaint against Melendez alleges he opened fire at the officers with a semiautomatic weapon during the traffic stop, the DA's Office said. Police did not say whether the officers fired back, only saying there was a shooting involving three officers and neither the officers nor the suspect were injured.
Police also said the shooting happened in the Alameda County Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction and it would be the primary agency investigating.
Melendez was charged with three counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, three counts of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon with priors, unlawful firearm activity, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and three counts of child abuse.
The DA's Office said the charges include a gun use enhancement and an additional enhancement for a second strike at the time of the shooting.
"The crimes that are alleged here are very serious," said District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson in a prepared statement. "My office has zero tolerance for gun violence. The whole community is at risk when a gun is used in any crime. Public safety is a priority for this office as well as our community."
Melendez was scheduled to appear for a plea hearing on March 3 at Oakland Superior Court. The DA's Office said Melendez faces more than 50 years to life in prison if convicted on all the charges.
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