Retired police captain fatally shoots robbery suspect, gets critically injured during encounter

While facing the armed gunmen, Joyner drew his own weapon and opened fire, hitting and killing one of the suspects and injuring another, video at the gas station reveals. Two of the suspects returned fire and injured Joyner. On the video, the dead man’s co-conspirators try briefly to drag him to the getaway car, then give up and flee without him.

The video suggests a fourth person acting as the getaway driver was also involved.

The identity of the deceased robbery suspect is being withheld pending a family notification.

Oakland Police Department became aware of the shooting from the city’s ShotSpotter system. Responding officers discovered Joyner and the other person suffering from gunshot wounds.

“This hits deep, absolutely,” said Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor, who came to the hospital after hearing about Joyner’s injuries. “Someone who dedicated his life to keeping other people safe, to have this happen to him, where he is the victim of violent crime, it’s tragic.”

While on active duty, Joyner was credited for the success of the department’s anti-violence initiative while leading the agency’s Ceasefire program.

As an officer, he was involved in five shootings. Joyner also led the homicide unit before retiring two years ago following a 28-year career, KTVU reported.

During a press conference, Chief LeRonne Armstrong said it was early in the investigation. He did not specifically confirm the identity of the victim, only saying he is a “retired officer” who is “lawfully able to carry a firearm.”

Armstrong spoke of the surveillance video that had already surfaced and was made public by various media outlets. He said the video was clear and a key part of their investigation, but that police would not be releasing the video at this time and would when it was “appropriate.”

“This highlights the violence that we’ve seen in this city this entire year. We have seen so many tragic situations. We have seen so many people lose their lives as a result of violence,” Armstrong said. “This again shows us how brazen individuals involved in this activity can be.”