Like so many parts of the Bay Area, Oakland’s Chinatown has seen a sharp spike in criminal activity over the last year. Residents and business owners have been the targets of robberies and assaults that have many of them understandably on edge.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley is one of the plague of Soros-backed prosecutors in large urban areas (Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, among many more) around the country who value “social justice” over prosecuting criminals and preserving law and order. As a result, criminals increasingly operate with impunity, knowing they’re unlikely to ever be prosecuted, let alone jailed for their crimes.
Monday evening an Oakland liquor store owner saw a woman being robbed outside his store. He came to her rescue carrying a gun.
From KPIX . . .
At about 5:30 p.m., a liquor store owner saw a woman being robbed of her camera at the corner of Ninth and Franklin. After seeing the woman knocked to the ground, the owner ran out with a gun, ordering the assailant to stop and reportedly firing four shots.
The suspect fled in a vehicle, but when police arrived, they took the business owner into custody.
Police no doubt decided that the Good Samaritan liquor store owner was not himself in any immediate danger of death or grievous bodily harm, the usual criteria for determining whether a defensive gun use was justified.
“When I talk to the entire community they feel sad that someone is trying to help others and ends up to be the one arrested or being in custody,” said Carl Chan.
As head of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Chan has been working to calm nerves at the same time he is appealing for more police presence in the area. Armed security guards are already patrolling the streets, funded by donations from the public. Chan worries that without more cops, other business owners — like the man who was arrested Monday — will seek to deal with the problem themselves.
“So, I think many of the people feel strongly that we should be supporting the store owner,” Chan said.
Don’t look for any of that support to come from the Oakland Police Department. Chief LeRonne Armstrong has made it known that the OPD doesn’t want Oaklanders to arm themselves…no matter how bad the crime problem gets.
He had this to say in a press conference after the robbery and shooting . . .
We would really prefer [victims] to be good witnesses and, you know, give them the observations that they have, share that information, call law enforcement immediately and let OPD respond and follow up. What we really don’t want to do is bring any additional issues into the equation that threaten safety.
The Chief hates to see citizens do anything rash like trying to protect themselves or others from feral criminals. He’d much prefer that Oaklanders — assuming they’re still alive after their victimization — call the OPD and let them clean up the mess later.
The 36-year-old store owner has since been released on bail. What do you suppose the odds are of DA O’Malley prosecuting him?
A dead criminal would cut into a prosecutor’s business, not to mention the business of defense lawyers.
Too bad the perp wasn’t hit four times.
Indeed.
This type of anti gun sentiment is becoming more common place throughout our nation now.People are wary of the police showing up in time to save them from robbery or mahiem.The increased buying of firearms by first time owners speakes for itself.With the constant drum beat to defund police departments is it any wonder whey there are millions of new gun owners.Now more then ever it’s important for new gun owners as well as current gun owners support and donate to one of the many gun rights groups out there that support our right to self defense.
The reality is that community police is now just an assistant to the criminal himself. They defend the criminal, not the victim.
As much as it is sad to say, BLM has the right idea. We need to end police and go to straight vigilantism, with all the horror that that will likely create, until such time as the cops are on the side of the citizen again. As it stands now, they are a completely dysfunctional agency that exists to tax the middle as much as possible, defend the organized savvy criminal and mostly keep the very wealthy safe.
Under the system as it exists now, they do more harm than good.
If we can regain control of our government and put them back on the path of thwarting the criminal again, then they may be salvaged.
I have been saying for a long time that if police are not going to help law abiding citizens then they need to stay out of our way. The day is coming when the neighbors will come out with guns and unarrest guys like this liquor store owner before the cops can take him away.
This has already happened. In Chiraq last year the police were forced to release a prisoner. When his gang friends came to get him back. He was arrested for some crime. I don’t know for what. But while he was still in the back of the police car. The gang came up to the two cops. And told them, “we want our guy back.” “Do you want ot fight over this?”
Out numbered the two patrol officers let him go. I heard about this on Lock and Load radio.
Who told the police about the shopowner firing on the perp? When the shooter is a gangbanger, nobody saw nuttin’. Was a good time to say somebody shot at him without remembering exactly who.
The cops are not on our side. Seems like this Good Samaritan would have been better off if the police were defunded. Now he has been arrested for doing the right thing. The cops have shown time and time again that they are too slow to respond in an immediate emergency. And where there is ongoing unrest they will abandon the neighborhoods to burn.
” liquor store owner was not himself in any immediate danger of death or grievous bodily harm, the usual criteria for determining whether a defensive gun use was justified.” No that is not the standard it is the standard if you add in the defense of others!
The only good to come out of this will be the closing of all retail and most other business in Oakland. With the exit of business will come the exit of tax revenue and the already hurting economy of the area will look like bombed out old Detroit in three or four years. More people will be hanging on the government teat and those that can leave will.
Edit: eventually both the Cities and the State government will be begging for money to keep them out of bankruptcy. We need to elect a congress that will tell them to eat dirt and die.
They already have been, hence the $1.9 trillion with a “t” covid relief package that includes $350 billion for gov’t bailouts. It’s on the move through Congress right now.
Our great grandkids are the ones who will be stuck with dirt for a last meal. What did that Youngstown rep always say, “Beam me up Scotty” or the like? I think his name was Traficant.
These areas in Ca like this don’t have any supermarkets or big box stores. The laundromat has an attendant, because they will break in to the machines to get $10 worth of quarters. They have corner liquor store that sell food. The owners(many are Asian immigrants), watch very carefully anyone in the store. The Chinese owners just get them later, if they shoplift at the end on the month. The Korean owners will lock the door and go after the offender with an axe handle or bat. Calif has being going into free fall for many years.
I live in CA, not “free fall for many years”, but freefall for many decades. We’ll bounce back faster than detroit, we have better weather. But it will be a horribly long slog out and only after, more than likely, a very lengthy civil unrest where Sacramento is sent packing.
I’ll believe that when I see it. Best I can imagine is they’ll gather themselves up and vote for a different Democrat.
What is the point of being “a good witness” when the perp is on the street in less than an hour even if he is ever apprehended?
If the left wants less armed people they need to give the people less reasons to be armed, not more.
*Hilarity Intensifies* and few notice.
I can’t wait until we get to the punch line of this excessively long shaggy dog story. It’s gonna be a hoot.
Ha! We really are living in one, aren’t we.
2020: The year of hindsight. Living through it sucked, and you couldn’t wait to get rid of it, but when you look back on it later, you’re going to wish you had it back.
2021: The year we play it by ear…
Living through it sucked, and you couldn’t wait to get rid of it, but when you look back on it later, you’re going to wish you had it back.
I’ve been saying that since June. People didn’t want to listen. But hey, as I pointed out before:
Just a warnin, as usual some cats wont heed it/
The hard headed always gotta feel it to believe it
The real question is at what point do the hardheaded start to feel it enough to believe it? I betcha that takes another six months at least.
Gad, I dunno. I’ve given up on guessing. Other people who seem to have a good sense of these things say 6 months to 2 years for the S to fully hit the F economically, politically, and socially. (But then some of those people said that about 10 years ago, too).
I’m lucky to be pretty insulated from it. I have a great job that pulled me from the scary bottom edge of lower middle-class to more or less the middle over the past year and a half, and no debts aside from student loans (which I’ll be paying until I die, probably, but oh, well), and it’s in a sector which the modern world absolutely *cannot* do without.
Business got better during COVID, and not just because of the ‘vid, but because the company is fundamentally sound and *very* well run. If shit gets bad enough that the company I work for can’t afford to pay people like me, then it is REALLY bad; and if engineers at my company start getting laid off, we’re talking complete collapse of civilization, rewind the clock by 200 years.
I’m already spending an alarmingly large percentage of my budget just on groceries; almost double now. If (when) gas and electricity bills double too, I’ll be back to the bad old days of pinching pennies until they bleed again.
So how bad IS all this going to get? I don’t even want to know. I think hard times generally plus more riots (with *both* sides playing this time) are probably the least we can expect, though.
[I should note that I’m not some apocalypse fan or gold bug. I think both are morons. That said, we tread some dangerous ground right now. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that unless you’re an idiot who takes risks because you don’t realize that the risk is there, which is where most people and 99% of pols are at right now IMHO, vainly hoping for 2019 to magically return.]
When it comes to having a job and income this is a bit like Agent Smith.
“Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call [job] when you are unable to speak [afford anything]?”
IOW I currently figure 50/50 Weimar Republic status. If other shit doesn’t get us first.
I’ve said quite a bit, it’s sad that none of this has to happen but if we keep up what we’re doing the outcome is inevitable.
My wife and I sit in this odd position both having worked “real” and “academic” jobs (the latter being the current). As such we see a lot of things that most people don’t and we understand what they mean if they continue. Likely they will continue because no one gives a shit that they’re happening.
I currently detect major disruptions in portions of the food market but also, copper, iron, zinc, steel, silicon, chemical stocks (across the board), chips (computer), rare earths, medicine, plastics (particularly medical grade) and others.
At the moment people worry about the new Playstation or the new iPhone but these problems are getting worse and what “makes the news” are the big companies in terms of the DJI and Nasdaq. Really, while they’re big players because of $$$ what they make really isn’t that important outside of a consumer economy/consumer index.
Stockpiles are dwindling and if things don’t get back to some semblance of normal shit will hit the fan across a bunch of base industries and that will cascade into others. Like lots of things this gets worse slowly and then falls off a cliff all at once.
Just a couple of examples, there are currently major shortages of pipette tips and surgical implements that are made of plastic. No biggie if you don’t need any medical testing or a surgery but as this expands… well, just price IV kits and compare to last year. Sure, they’re cheap but check dat percentage increase.
Further, try getting reagent grade buffer solutions of KCl or reagent grade AgNO3. Most people don’t give a shit about these things but those same people would care if they knew that 1) they’re backordered until fall 2021 at best and 2) they’re crucial to clean drinking water in many cases. You might not give a fuck about chemistry but having safe drinking water is something most people take for granted (though in Texas they’re learning from the School of Hard Knocks right now).
These problems are growing. They’re getting wider and deeper. Right now it’s slow and relatively unnoticed but… that cliff edge is somewhere out there in the dark and we’re heading in that direction at an increasing velocity. Will we go over the edge? I dunno, but I’m bullish on bullshit and bearish on smarts right now. That’s unusual for me and it’s never boded well in the past. (But hey, maybe my lamp or my feet are broken, and fuck Patrick Henry anyway, right?) The fact that people don’t recognize this is unsurprising but also rather frightening in terms of the potential consequences.
This also occurs against a backdrop that’s not exactly good. The cushion of relatively strong fundamentals that you had with the Dot Com crash or the 1970’s isn’t there right now. It’s been massively eroded by CoV-2 policy and by Fed policy since 2008. It’s a long way down and there’s no net this time. You combine that with the recent markets and we’re only climbing to higher ropes which we must walk across.
I don’t really like the doomsayers, never have, and I’m not saying “we’re fucked” but we’re edging towards that position IMHO in a lot of ways, most of which it seems the vast majority of people don’t see. Those that see part of it are, generally, (again IMHO) myopic about it. They see a few pitfalls but they’re missing the forest for the trees in many cases (or the punji pits for the beartrap perhaps?).
However, I note other problems. Political mainly, that are just as bad if not worse. But there’s also the rental market, the back payments on utilities, unemployment, other countries, China’s new interest in screwing our manufacturing capabilities etc. The list is pretty long and the stuff that’s not “in the red” is high in the yellow in my estimation. “Alarm bells are ringing, Willie.” comes to mind.
So, as I said, dangerous ground to tread made more so by the fact that most people refuse to admit that it is, in fact, inherently dangerous. This leads to irrational behavior. Just look at the markets for data points on that.
The interesting thing to me is that this is somewhat like investing. The current situation provides much risk but also some fantastic opportunities. I fear however that it will be the Left that carpes all those diems because they’re the ones who love to take advantage of a crisis while “the Right” remains a pack of stray cats, all vying for individual advantages without realizing the risk in acting that way.
A lone wolf seems like a great idea in some cases. But if the entire forest burns down the lone wolf is easy to find and eliminate. Politically that seems to be the position of a lot of “right leaning” people at this point.
But hey, WTF do I know, eh?
“Most people don’t give a shit about these things but those same people would care if they knew that 1) they’re backordered until fall 2021 at best and 2) they’re crucial to clean drinking water in many cases.”
Personally, I have physical stocks on-hand of stabilized chlorine tabs to make over a million gallons of rain water ‘safe’ (but quite unpleasant to drink).
I hear you on the other about reagents, I’ll have to make a call tomorrow to my contact still in the lab supplies ordering business to verify how widespread this is getting…
Did you mean feghoot?
It’s common after a shooting to arrest everyone who has a gun and let the lawyers argue about it later. What’s critical is whether the DA files formal charges against the store owner.
When the owner fired, was the robber a threat to the woman or was the robbery already over with and the robber in the process of escaping? Shooting would be justified in the former situation but not in the latter. (There is something in the law about using deadly force to prevent a forcible felony but I don’t know how it might work in California.)
I hope you get robbed and no one helps you, because “the assailant was fleeing.” And I hope you don’t live anywhere near me.
Well, generally speaking, you aren’t allowed to shoot people when they’ve disengaged and are running away. (The police tend to get a pass on this one.) The goblin might deserve it, and you could even be doing a service to society, but you’ll probably get arrested and prosecuted for it.
If the true goals of the defender are to stop the criminal’s violent act and to survive it, shooting a fleeing perpetrator is unnecessary and potentially wrong because both of those goals/conditions have already been met. You’d be engaging in vengeance and punishment then, not self-protection, and vengeance is mine, saith
the Lordthe law.If he is in possession of my valuable property, feel free to shoot him at least until he stops escaping, in Texas. And if your state says you can’t, they should reimburse you for any resultant loss.
If the bad guy is already running away, shooting him won’t do me any good.
Denying that any shots were fired still seems like the best plan if there are no bloodstains or bodies.
Runs out of his store and fires four times, to prevent the theft of a _camera_? No person’s life was at risk here until the store owner opened fire. It’s one thing to protect your own possessions, on your own property, but running out into the street and opening fire to stop a camera snatcher is just reckless, given that no mention is made that the street thief was even armed. If it wouldn’t have been justified for a commsioned peace officer to open fire, it isn’t justified for a private citizen to open fire, either.
Delta. Violently shoving someone to the ground could cause a serious or potentially fatal injury. If you don’t believe me ask anyone in the medical field who has dealt with injuries related to falls. It doesn’t take a lot to break bones or even fracture a skull causing a significant brain injury.
That’s true. Plenty of people, even young, tough ones, have died in random street fights simply by falling and cracking their head on the curb
Subdural hematomas matter.
ANYONE remember the little white dude in Floriduh(a few years ago) who dared hassle a black woman over illegal parking and got violently knocked to the pavemrnt? And most of y’all didn’t think he should have shot the large black assaulter?!? Didn’t think so!😡
as a resident of Florida, I remember it and she got what she deserved especially being I am disabled and mobility impaired it really ticks me when I see people misuse those parking spaces have called the law a few times about it but they always take to long to get there and I am not going to get in a gunfight about it
See my response to Kendahl above and then forward the same words to yourself.
@Delta
You must own a fkg cat and use something to cover up that smell from your vga.
I agree with Delta795. There’s no justification presented for use of a firearm. If the thief were beating the woman or threatening the shop owner with harm, then the use of force becomes more relevant. But, opening fire because someone stole her camera and was running away? That wouldn’t hold up in court in any red state. This is a non-story. Certainly nothing worth the hyperbole in these responses.
Right, and that attitude is how we have gotten where we are. We should shoot the mofo until he’s dead if he stole a half-eaten candy bar. Under Sharia they would merely cut off his left hand, we can do better than that. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was the only place I’ve ever been where I was certain that I could weight a $100 bill with a rock and leave it in the middle of a plaza, then come back an hour later and pick it up.
The world is massively overcrowded, life is cheap. We should start acting like it.
Well that sux.. oddly(shockingly?)ABC 7 tv in Chiraq had a pro-2A report on the corrupt & inept State Po-leece FOID & CCL debacle. Then again it IS February sweeps😕
Jesus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
OPD: “Oh no you don’t!”
It’s one thing to defend yourself from serious injury or possibly death, or even another party, but to blast off four rounds in Chinatown over someone else’s camera? No way. Arrest him for reckless endangerment or similar.
Determining the parameters for lawful self-defense still rightly resides with one’s political representatives, regardless what the Mad Max post-apocalyptic 2A extremists think; especially when the “self” in question isn’t yours.
Or else take your chances with jury nullification.
I got jammed up 40 years ago for going to someone’s defense. Won’t do that ever again except for me and mine. If a stranger gets in a spot, shame on him for not being prepared.
Armed security guards are already patrolling the streets, funded by donations from the public.
Cool, defund the police has legitimized the protection rackets…
It is sad when defending someone gets you arrested. Just a few days ago in Oakland a man was killed in his driveway for fun. These criminals need to be shot.
” the Bay Area” says it all.
Alameda County District Attorney is named Nancy O’Malley, not Pamela.
This shows the incredible amount of stupidity on behalf of the PD. It will become a crap storm they wish not to have stepped in. I see a big lawsuit on the horizon.
@Vincent. Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, I emailed links to this story to the Firearms Policy Coalition, Gun Owners of America, and Gun Owners of California, just for the hell of it.
Clearly, neither Oakland’s progressive ‘leaders’, nor their law enforcement ‘mouthpiece,’ Chief Armstrong, are familiar with several Supreme Court rulings which indicate that the police are under no general obligation to protect individuals, only the public at large. Said rulings include: Warren v. District of Columbia (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981), Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748., and Lozito v. New York City.
Furthermore, it appears that the aforementioned individuals are ‘blissfully’ ignorant of (or deliberately choose to ignore) the fact that many (if not most) rank-in-file law enforcement officers are strong proponents of the RTKBA, including so-called ‘assault weapons.’ Apparently, such facts simply don’t support the ‘progressive’ narrative that all guns are ‘evil’, and that no moral and rational subject (err… ‘citizen’) should ever own (let alone use) such ‘offensive’ tools to defend themselves, or others.
https://www.policemag.com/342456/gun-control-assault-weapons-and-school-safety
https://www.policeone.com/gun-legislation-law-enforcement/articles/policeones-gun-control-survey-11-key-lessons-from-officers-perspectives-m4At3JUr9iHpA45K/
#GunsSaveLives
Oakland, CA…Official home of ebonics…
@WI Patriot. Now, now… the ‘woke’ and ‘politically correct’ term is African American English (AAE). 😩🙄
Factoid…
In the late 80’s, early 90’s, Oakland school districts taught ebonics in the schools…they said it was “cultural”…
How do you teach that? Something like “Just talk like a …”?
Good luck getting a jury to convict him…
You didn’t hear? Soros’ California prosecutors can now draw from San Quentin, among others, for jury pools. It was a package deal along with the unemployment checks and no deportations.
Seriously though, I hope you are correct. 12-0 not guilty will slap that prosecutor in the face.
When the entire point of the exercise is to make the process into the punishment then it matters not what the jury decides.
Yep, might beat the charge but you’re going to take the ride. If not for people donating to Kyle’s bail he would still be enjoying the hospitality of jail. 2mil bail was punishment which is illegal but it didn’t stop the local DA.
Move to a free state.
@Thinker1. For many people, simply moving out of California is much easier said than done. Besides, nobody should EVER feel compelled to leave California (or any state for that matter) simply because of the asinine policies of a few sanctimonious ‘progressive’ politicians.
Nobody who is independently wealthy, anyhow.
If you stay. Then stay and fight. No one is coming to save you. Especially if you don’t demonstratite that you are willing to fight for yourself.
Of course the cops arrested the Good Samaritan who fired on the robber. Pigs and punks have got to stick together.
Don’t fire warning shots.
Let me see here, looks like Oakland has never had a clearance rate over 20% for robbery, and in 2019 it was 5.6% Yeah, let the cops have that one in 18 chance of actually getting a conviction, and less chance of that of actually serving any time, and zero chance of any restitution. Source: https://openjustice.doj.ca.gov/exploration/crime-statistics/crimes-clearances
Wow, this is a tricky one. A marginalized individual being victimized by a marginalized individual, being shot at by yet another marginalized individual in a large, progressive city, managed by progressives. Does O’Malley actually bring charges on the store owner who’s race is currently being ostracized for the coup flu for protecting an innocent who was being victimized by a socially woke victim in their own right? Their new Piece of Chleif seems to be working out well. Well, at least Libby seems to be getting her hair appointments.
SHOULD GIVE HIM A MEDAL OF HONOR AND PAY FOR DOING POLICE WORK .
‘We would really prefer [victims] to be good witnesses and, you know, give them the observations that they have, share that information, call law enforcement immediately and let OPD respond and follow up.’
It’s much better to stand by and watch someone get murdered than save their lives. Video it on your iPhone and maybe it’ll go viral on YouTube or be part of the evening news. Be a good witness and count the number of blows/stabs before the victim stops screaming then stops breathing. The police will arrest the offender and release him on no cash bond. Maybe he’ll thank you by paying you a visit. Lived there. Left there. Not going back.
Punished for coming to the defense of your neighbor.
Turn your back, pay no attention.
Building unity in the United States.
3d chess anyone?
The key words in Chief LeRonne Armstrong’s statement “and let OPD respond and follow up.” Follow up is like being an archeologist. Show up after the fact, write a report and guess at what happened. Thus giving the criminal plenty of time to flee.
Yeah just be a good witness try to remember every detail of the knife the guy is using to stab you or try to remember all the different types of shoes your attackers are using while kicking you on the ground. That’s all useful to law endorcement but don’t try to defend yourself that’s their job.
Lived in Oakland, around Alameda County for about 15 years. It’s all about police unions and their jobs. Not about doing a job. You’d better not take it upon yourself to remotely consider any action that may be their ‘work’ right. From testimony and experience this applies to home invasion as well. Prosecutors obviously have a conflict of interest, having to support those union and PD funding objectives aside from their own political or self preserving agenda.
After a series of brazen gang robberies of restaurants filled with customers years ago in broad daylight, there was an uproar for more police in Oakland. The only option citizens were allowed. Guesses as to how that worked out for them? Ditto for the unarmed community patrols (paid for by the community as mentioned) that were eventually relented to. In the building I worked you could ask a security guard to walk you the few blocks to BART. A woman asked me to stand in once when I was leaving, as the security guards were short staffed. At least I could usually carry pepper spray and a wrench. Any guesses on lawyers fees if I’d had to use them?
Another reason why we left our home state of Taxifornia two years ago. The “woke” have taken over, and the politicians are so afraid of them that they refuse to pass laws that make sense, and even blame the victims. Defending ones self is no longer a priority according to the corrupt state and local law enforcement community. I would be ashamed to be in the LE community with this type of anarchy being promoted, and that’s exactly what it is. Thank God we no longer live there.
Looks like the band named “The Eagles” needs to rename the album and song by the name of “Hotel California” to “Shithole California”…..
@Country Boy. That, and/or California’s nickname should be changed to the “Golden Shower State”, given that public urination (and other ‘quality-of-life crimes) are no longer prosecuted:
https://www.newsweek.com/san-francisco-district-attorney-public-urination-prostitution-not-prosecute-1471475
You do not draw a weapon, nor fire it unless there is real fear of losing life. Sadly the store owner did both. He was trying to do a good deed, but responsibility comes with a deadly weapon.
The robber should be monkey stomped and have his brains mailed back to his mama.
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