A newspaper photographer was on assignment in the San Francisco Bay Area when he was robbed with a gun.
Two cameras belonging to the San Francisco Chronicle were taken from the photographer around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, according the newspaper. The incident was reported by an Oakland police spokesperson. Multiple suspects ran the scene in a car, leaving the photographer uninjured.
Emilio Garcia Ruiz, Chronicle Editor-in Chief, stated in a Friday statement that “any incident where a person is robbed from their possessions at gunpoint” We are glad that our colleague wasn’t injured. We are part of the community and will continue to provide the information and news it requires.”
This incident took place as San Francisco Bay Area was still reeling from the loss of an armed security officer who was killed protecting a news crew that was covering a recent smash-and-grab robbery.
Kevin Nishita was a former officer in police who worked as an armed guard at Star Protection Agency. was wounded in the abdomen during an attempt to rob KRON TV of its camera equipment. The incident took place near Oakland on November 24. He succumbed to his injuries days later.
However, no arrests were made in this case.
KRON-TV was covering a recent robbery in which a group of thieves broke into a clothing shop and stole the goods. This is part of an increasing number of organized retail thefts in the area. California’s shoplifting laws have been downgraded to make theft of goods less than $950 a misdemeanor.
San Francisco’s progressive District attorney Chesa Boudin is currently facing a second recall attempt. At least two other prosecutors have resigned due to his inability to prosecute violent crime.
Los Angeles police and other California law enforcement agencies blame the state’s zero bail policy for repeat shoplifting offenders. They are often allowed to return to the streets.
According to The Associated Press, March saw the California Supreme Court rule that bail price setting judges must take into account a suspect’s ability pay. This effectively allows indigent defendants to be released pending further legal action unless they are deemed dangerous.
Nishita’s relatives made a public appeal on Friday to anyone who recorded the shooting from their cell phone to come forward and give that footage to the Oakland Police Department. For information leading to an arrest, a reward of $32,500 will be offered.
Oakland police released a photo from surveillance footage that shows the suspect driving a white Acura TL 2004-2008 with no front license plate. Mercury News reported that Nishita began his career as a law enforcement officer with the Oakland Housing Authority Police Department in 1993. He later served as an officer in San Jose and Hayward.
