Oakland police arrested an armed suspect on Sunday after he allegedly opened fire on officers at Manzanita Park and fled into a nearby residential area.
Police said they received multiple 911 calls at about 10.30am on August 30 reporting that a man was threatening to kill a woman near the park in East Oakland. When officers arrived, the suspect allegedly fired at them before they returned fire, although nobody was struck.
The woman was taken to safety as officers established a perimeter around the neighbourhood. Residents were advised to shelter in place while tactical officers, a police drone and outside law-enforcement agencies joined the search.
Officers later found the suspect in an abandoned house in the 2600 block of 22nd Avenue. Shortly before 3pm, he allegedly set fire to items inside the property and threw burning objects at police, who deployed a limited amount of gas to force him outside.
The suspect left the building and fought officers as they attempted to detain him, according to the Oakland Police Department. He was taken into custody by tactical and K9 teams before being taken to hospital for evaluation.
The Oakland Fire Department extinguished the blaze. Police said no officers, neighbours or other members of the public were physically injured, while the identity of the suspect had not been released.
The officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, in line with department policy. The shooting and the wider incident are being investigated by Oakland police, with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Community Police Review Agency notified.
