Cops shoot woman in back

[shai]

Neighbors: Berkeley cop didn't have to kill

Berkeley police say officer acted in self-defense against armed woman

By Anna Belle Peevey, CORRESPONDENT

Article Created: 02/18/2008 02:36:30 AM PST

 

Neighbors of a woman who was fatally shot by a Berkeley police officer outside her home Saturday night say he acted impulsively and irresponsibly, while police say the five-year veteran acted in defense of himself and another person.

 

Differing accounts surround the death of 51-year-old Anita Gay, a grandmother who was shot to death in the 1700 block of Ward Street, after police said an officer responded to a domestic dispute call.

 

Gay's neighbors, some of whom witnessed the shooting, described her as a loving mother and grandmother who was unarmed and not a threat when the officer approached her house.

 

"The police should be ashamed of themselves," said

 

55-year-old Channell King, who added she saw the shooting from the front porch of her house, directly across the street from Gay's apartment building.

 

"He could have tased her, used rubber bullets — anything than what he did," King said of the police officer, who's been described by neighbors as a young African-American male. Gay was also African-American.

 

Berkeley police — who do not carry tasers for patrol duties — are not releasing the name of the officer, who has been placed on administrative leave. But spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said that their preliminary investigation — including statements by family members and one witness — "supports the fact that the suspect had a large kitchen-style knife" in her possession at the time the officer shot her.

 

Police said the officer responded to Gay's apartment complex after a call about 6:40 p.m. that someone was breaking windows.

 

Finding a broken window at the apartment next door to Gay's, but no incident, he left and was called back to the location at approximately 8 p.m. after a call to 9-1-1, according to police.

 

Kusmiss said the officer found Gay outside on her front porch with a knife and proceeded to "challenge her at gunpoint." According to neighbors, Gay appeared intoxicated and may have been drinking or on some form of medication.

 

Then, Kusmiss said, two family members — who neighbors say were daughters who lived at the home — emerged from inside the apartment and Gay waved the knife at them.

 

"Given the proximity, the officer thought there was an imminent threat," Kusmiss said. She added the officer fired his weapon at least twice.

 

Neighbors and witnesses, however, said Gay had either dropped or released the knife by this time and had her hands against an outside wall, per the officer's request. They said she then turned to walk up her stairs, at which point the officer opened fire.

 

Gay was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

"He shot her where he knew she wasn't going to make it," said 26-year-old Lisa Jones, a neighbor who often referred to Gay as "Mom." "He shot her in the back."

 

Berkeley police do not yet have specifics on where on her body she was shot, according to Kusmiss, and are waiting on the coroner's report. Kusmiss confirmed the knife was recovered from the scene.

 

One of Gay's daughters, witnesses said, was grazed on her face by one of the officer's bullets.

 

"There was a superficial wound that paramedics attended to," said Kusmiss, adding that authorities weren't sure if it was a result of the officer's round or another incident.

 

Neighbors described Gay as a woman who had a drinking problem but who was known for taking care of the children in the community, including her two young granddaughters.

 

"She was the grandmother of the whole neighborhood," said Renee Wilkins, 45, who lived in the same apartment complex. "She was always barbecuing and buying Popsicles for the kids."

 

Wilkins said she was in her bedroom at the time of the shooting but that her daughter witnessed the incident.

 

"She yelled from the front of our apartment, 'Mama, the policeman shot Zaire's grandmama,'" Wilkins said.

 

Family members were at the apartment on Sunday but said they would not comment on the incident until they sought legal advice.

 

The shooting is under investigation, and authorities are urging witnesses to come forward and contact the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5900.

 

"We understand there will be community criticism surrounding this," Kusmiss said, "but we want to be thorough and clear on the details. We don't want voices to go unnoticed."

 

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Shooting someone in the back is self defense?

[angelofdeath]

wow.

shooting in the back after an old woman dropped a knife?

rediculous.

wtf.

 

i love how the police murder people, then they get paid leave. or how police agencies 'officially' run an 'investigation' on themselves. talk about the fox watching the hen house

wow, that will teach them.

[graffiti_dood]

not really sure what to say, but it does sicken me.

 

 

and lol at the name being Gay.

[Seph]

hmm.....

 

FUCK THE POLICE..

 

R.I.P. grandma

[Guest spectr]

I hope that cop gets bucked by some people from the neighborhood....

what part of berkeley was that in?

[shai]

South side near Ashby BART. Not far from where we used to live.

[Porcelain]

yeah shooting in the back? self defense. ha, yeah right

 

porbably a trigger hungry cop. and i dont think 5 years makes you a veteran either.

 

poor grandma. maybe they should issue tasers in berkeley now.

 

who knows?

[shai]

I'll make a Berkeley thread so you can understand how truly bizarre this place is. Not necessarily in a good way, either...more along the lines of "you're joking, right?"

[Guest spectr]

South side near Ashby BART. Not far from where we used to live.

yeah thats honestly what I figured the minute I read that.. since I couldn't picture them shooting some rich white lady up in the hills in the back.. It's like they hate that neighborhood... and just wish it was part of oakland..

[shai]

I lived at Fairview and California for a while, and the only reason I know I was in Berkeley was because the street signs were white and not green.

 

I just talked to someone who lives in Southside...he said that the cops definitely fucked up bad this time because the witnesses are all saying the same thing and the cops can't seem to get their story straight.

 

You can bet that there's gonna be some crazy shit popping off if this dude gets cleared.

[Guest spectr]

I lived at Fairview and California for a while, and the only reason I know I was in Berkeley was because the street signs were white and not green.

 

I just talked to someone who lives in Southside...he said that the cops definitely fucked up bad this time because the witnesses are all saying the same thing and the cops can't seem to get their story straight.

 

You can bet that there's gonna be some crazy shit popping off if this dude gets cleared.

 

yeah man.. remember when that narcotics detec got nothing for stealing evidence and using heroin... all the other narcotic detecs were trying to say they had no idea he was on dope for 3 years.. That they thought he was sick, and thats why he was nodding off at work, and looked all out of it...

[shai]

I did some work recently for someone who is a member of the Lions Club here in Berkeley, and he said the department requires all applicants to have at least a associate's degree to get hired.

 

So it's not like they're hiring a bunch of dummies who just walked in the door...they're at least somewhat educated. Supposedly a lot of them have bachelor's degrees, too.

 

Eventually the conversation turned to the situation on Telegraph, and he said that the businesses there put a lot of pressure on the cops to do more about the street kids. The cops don't really care that they're there, in fact it's easier for them to keep tabs on people when they're all in one spot.

 

The cops would MUCH rather go after all the bullshit on the Southside and do more patrols to prevent crime by being more visible, but when it comes down to it, residents in poor neighborhoods always lose out to business because of money, money, money. Property tax isn't as big of a incentive as compared to sales tax as far as numbers go.

 

That's why I tell people who claim to care about Berkeley to shop in South and West Berkeley, so it pushes the tax base in areas that need it. They should put that whole area...say, anything within three blocks of the campus- over to the jurisdiction of the UC police and let the hippies figure it out.

[shai]

I did some work recently for someone who is a member of the Lions Club here in Berkeley, and he said the department requires all applicants to have at least a associate's degree to get hired.

 

So it's not like they're hiring a bunch of dummies who just walked in the door...they're at least somewhat educated. Supposedly a lot of them have bachelor's degrees, too.

 

Eventually the conversation turned to the situation on Telegraph, and he said that the businesses there put a lot of pressure on the cops to do more about the street kids. The cops don't really care that they're there, in fact it's easier for them to keep tabs on people when they're all in one spot.

 

The cops would MUCH rather go after all the bullshit on the Southside and do more patrols to prevent crime by being more visible, but when it comes down to it, residents in poor neighborhoods always lose out to business because of money, money, money. Property tax isn't as big of a incentive as compared to sales tax as far as numbers go.

 

That's why I tell people who claim to care about Berkeley to shop in South and West Berkeley, so it pushes the tax base in areas that need it. They should put that whole area...say, anything within three blocks of the campus- over to the jurisdiction of the UC police and let the hippies figure it out.

[iloveboxcars]

ok, im sorry.

 

did someone say the police should be ASHAMED of themselves?

 

they didnt pee on someones rug, they killed someone. are you fucking kidding me? sometimes berkeley astounds me.

[shai]

It pretty much astounds me everyday, ILB.

[Gat Bush]

There NEEDS to be an independant nationwide investegatory agency to provide at least some checks and balances for police organizations.

 

The police will never hold themselves accountable. They will only do whatever within their means to save face.

 

I predict this police officer will not be held responsible for this crime.

 

"To protect and serve our own interests."

[shai]

Oh, hell no. Worst case, nothing is going to happen to dude, and if it did he was "just doing his job." At best, the department might settle out in civil court, but then that's sort of admitting fault to a degree.