Pedestrian dead, another injured after CHP chase in Oakland: police

Yahoo

5 days ago

The Brief
A pedestrian was killed and another was injured after a chase with the CHP in Oakland.
There was another crash scene not too far away.
The CHP said an officer was chasing someone in a stolen car.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A pedestrian was killed and another was injured following a chase with a California Highway Patrol officer in Oakland, police said, adding that a suspect involved in the chase has been arrested.
CHP Officer Andy Barclay said one of his agency's units was trying to stop the driver of a stolen car.
What we know
Oakland police spokesman Paul Chambers said the CHP was chasing a car in Oakland on Wednesday at about 7:45 p.m. at the corner of East 21st Street and 12th Avenue.
The CHP ended the chase at some point, Chambers said, and the driver of the suspect vehicle "continued to drive recklessly" into the neighborhood of Park Boulevard and East 21st Street.
That's where the driver "lost control" and struck two people on the sidewalk, Chambers said.
One of the pedestrians was a man in his 40s, and he was pronounced dead on scene, Chambers said.
The other pedestrian was a woman, also in her 40s, and she was taken to the hospital, where Chambers said she is now in "stable condition."
Chambers said that the suspect got out of the car – which, from the scene, appeared to be an Infiniti with no plates – and ran but was taken into custody by CHP.
What we don't know
Police have yet to release the identity of the pedestrians or the suspect.
Chambers also didn't say how long the chase lasted.
Chambers said the CHP is investigating the pursuit and OPD is investigating the death.
Big picture view
The issue of police chases is a controversial one.
Many in law enforcement, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say officers need as many tools as they can to go after people who commit crimes.
Others argue that it's not worth killing or injuring people – especially innocent bystanders – during the pursuit.
The California Highway Patrol has looser rules on chasing suspects than Oakland police do.
Recently, the Oakland police chief asked the police commission to loosen one particular aspect of city chase rules, where an officer would no longer have to request permission from a supervisor to drive faster than 50 mph.
Earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Oakland police can be held responsible when bystanders are injured, or killed, during reckless pursuits.
The ruling was a victory for the family of Lolomanaia "Lolo" Soakai, who was killed in a freak accident in June 2022, when a motorcycle landed on top of him following an authorized Oakland police chase of another suspect while he was out with his mother at a taco truck.
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