‘Taken entirely by surprise’: Oakland police officer killed in ‘ambush’ shooting at Embarcadero

An Oakland police officer responding to a burglary at a cannabis store was shot and killed Friday morning, the department said.

The officer, identified as Tuan Le, “was fatally wounded by gunfire” in the 400 block of Embarcadero. He and another officer were in an unmarked police vehicle when they were ambushed by a suspect out of the line of sight, according to Oakland Police Officers Assn. President Barry Donelan.

“They were taken entirely by surprise,” Donelan said in an interview with The Times. “They never had an opportunity to draw their service weapons.”

Another officer in the vehicle suffered minor injuries after helping Le out of the car, Donelan said. Le was taken to Highland Hospital, where he died.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Interim Police Commissioner Darren Allison said the officers, who were wearing civilian clothes, were responding to a burglary at the cannabis business — the second of the night — around 4:30 a.m. when the shooting occurred.

“This senseless murder of a police officer — one of the guardians of our beautiful city — it will not stand,” Mayor Sheng Thao said at the conference. “We will work together to bring these perpetrators to justice.”

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No suspects were immediately identified. Allison said at least one person opened fire on the officers. Numerous bullet casings were found, according to police.

Video from the scene showed a crashed white pickup truck along with numerous officers from the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. It was not clear to whom the truck belonged.