OAKLAND, Calif. – Several arrests were made in connection with the murder of an Oakland police officer who was shot and killed while responding to a commercial burglary at a cannabis business last week, according to law enforcement authorities.
An unspecified number of arrests have been made related to the shooting death of Officer Tuan Le, 36, according to the Oakland Police Department. “One suspect was captured in the last 10 hours,” FOX 11 Los Angeles reported Tuesday afternoon.
Oakland Police officials did not specify what charges the suspects face related to their roles in the officer’s homicide.
Sources confirmed with KTVU on Saturday that at least two suspects were arrested in the burglary that preceded the death of Le. Authorities have not confirmed whether those suspects were tied to the officer’s murder.
“This is just the beginning of a lengthy legal process; we are hopeful that it will start the healing for Officer Le’s grieving family and our entire OPD family,” the police department said in a statement.
Interim Police Chief Darren Allison said a team of officers from the Burglary Suppression Unit were dispatched to a cannabis business in the 400 block of Embarcadero after receiving a report last Friday around 1 a.m. of a burglary-in-progress. When officers arrived, they secured the business, but then at around 4:43 a.m., they received another report of a burglary-in-progress at the same business.
Allison said uniformed and plainclothed officers responded to the business. At the scene, officers noticed several suspects fleeing.
During the response, one of the suspects fired a gun several times, striking the plainclothed officer as he was driving in an unmarked vehicle, Allison said.
Although Le was rushed to Highland Hospital, he was later pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m. He was surrounded by his wife, mother, and fellow officers when he died, officials confirmed.
Le graduated from Oakland Police Department’s 183rd Academy Class in 2019 and for the last two years served on the crime suppression detail, KTVU reported.
“The dangers and demands of this profession are real. They come with significant sacrifice. Sadly, today, one of our officers paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Allison said on Friday.
Local resident Keisha Henderson spoke fondly of Le after previously interacting with him while on duty, according to FOX 11.
“He treated everybody with a lot of respect,” said Henderson, who became familiar with Le when he patrolled her West Oakland neighborhood as a community engagement officer.
“There was an issue at my home, and he looked out for my house.” Henderson recalled. “He requested more frequent patrols for our neighborhood, even though resources were very slim at the time.”
