July 19, 2010

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BART, Oakland cops shoot knife-wielding man

Pursuit began near Fruitvale station, where BART cop Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Oscar Grant while placing him under arrest

By Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera
San Francisco Chronicle

OAKLAND, Calif. — A man who was shot and killed on Saturday morning by Oakland and BART police officers after charging against them with knives in each hand was identified as 48-year-old Oakland resident Fred Collins.

Collins was shot multiple times after leading five officers on a chase that started at 8:15 a.m. a few blocks west of the BART Fruitvale Station and ended in the 1500 block of 33rd Avenue.

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Oakland police Officer Jeff Thomason said Collins had been arrested in the past for prior incidents of assaults on officers, terrorist threats and resisting arrest. Collins had also been placed in psychological evaluation at least once for his involvement in those incidents, Thomason said.

The incident began when a 911 call alerted Oakland police to a man wielding a knife in the 3200 block of East 12th Street. BART officers also responded to the call because of the proximity to the Fruitvale Station.

Upon seeing the BART police officers approach him, one witness said, Collins began screaming "shoot me, shoot me, shoot me" and took off running, Thomason said.

Officers chased Collins and tried to stun and subdue him twice with a Taser. After the second attempt, Collins turned back and, holding a knife in each hand, launched himself toward one officer.

Officers responded by shooting Collins, who was pronounced dead at the scene. None of the officers was injured.

The Fruitvale Station was also where former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed 22-year-old Oscar Grant while placing him under arrest. Investigators believe there is no connection between that incident and Saturday's shooting.

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