A man in his early 40s who is suspected of shooting an Oakland police officer in the foot this morning has been taken into custody, a police spokesman confirmed this afternoon. The suspect was arrested without incident shortly before 11:30 a.m. near 35th Avenue and East Ninth Street after SWAT team members from Oakland police and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office combed the surrounding neighborhoods for hours, Officer Jeff Thomason said.
The suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted murder on two police officers.
The incident began around 3:45 a.m. when two officers noticed a flatbed big rig truck being driven erratically in the 1100 block of 66th Avenue and activated their lights and sirens, according to Thomason.
Upon turning on the lights and sirens, the big rig didn't immediately pull over. The officers followed the vehicle until it stopped on an onramp to northbound Interstate Highway 880 just south of Coliseum Way, Thomason said.
The big rig driver then allegedly exited the big rig and began firing at the two officers. One of the officers returned fire and the other was struck in the foot by a bullet, according to Thomason. That officer was treated at a hospital and released this morning.
After shooting at the officers, the suspect got back into the big rig and began driving north on Highway 880. Other responding officers pursued the suspect because the first officers' vehicle was riddled with bullet holes and wasn't working, Thomason said.
The pursuit ended on Highway 880 near the 3700 block of East Ninth Street when the big rig drove into a guardrail and overturned. The suspect then ran from the big rig and managed to hide from authorities until just before 11:30 a.m. when he was arrested, Thomason said.
He said the suspect was not struck by gunfire and did not need to be hospitalized.
