In addition to celebrating our 100^th birthday (the RPD Centennial event), our personnel were busy this weekend with many calls for service and several very serious situations.  What follows is just a sampling of the good work from the past several days.  As you can see, when the weather warms up, our activity increases. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any further information.

Chief Chris Magnus

Sunday, May 17, 2009, 9:30 a.m., Birmingham and Lancaster Dr.--Officer Purcell observed a red Ford Focus fail to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Lancaster and Birmingham Dr.  Officer Purcell stopped the vehicle and was assisted by Officer Zeidan. Both officers smelled the odor of Marijuana emitting from the vehicle.  The suspect, a 21 year-old male, consented to a search for marijuana.  A firearm, as well as marijuana, was found on the suspect’s person.  The firearm is a Raven Arms .25 cal semi-auto.  It was cocked and locked with six live rounds in the magazine and one live round in the chamber.  The suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked in the RPD Jail.

Sunday, May 17, 2009, 4:40 p.m., 13^th and Maine Ave.--Officer Ernest Loucas was patrolling this area when he observed the suspect crossing the street toward the parking lot in the 300 block of S.13^th Street.  Officer Loucas could clearly see a ballistic magazine protruding out from underneath the suspects t-shirt on his back side.  Officer Loucas accelerated toward the suspect and the suspect fled.  The suspect jumped a fence at 1324 Maine Ave., then discarded the firearm.  The firearm was immediately recovered by Officer Loucas.  A perimeter was established, however, the suspect was not located. Officer Loucas stated that he can absolutely identify the suspect.  The recovered firearm is a Glock 17, .9mm loaded with 31 live rounds in an extended magazine, also with one live round in the chamber.  The firearm had been reported stolen out of  San Pablo on 03-12-2009.

Saturday, May 16, 2009, RPD—Another round of Police Officer Recruitment testing took place on Saturday at the Richmond Police Department.  Approximately 30 lateral officers tested and about 15 are being sent for background processing.  Several of these individuals appear to be exceptional candidates.

Saturday, May 16, 2009, 5:23 p.m., 7^th St. and Pennsylvania--Richmond officers responded to the this location on the initial report of five shots fired in the area.  A second caller reported that a grey vehicle, possibly a Dodge, was shooting towards the liquor store.  That vehicle was last seen traveling North-bound on 6^th St.  The vehicle was reportedly occupied by 4 black males, all between 18-25 yrs.  The driver was identified as the shooter.  At 5:28 p.m., a caller reported that her vehicle had been struck by gunfire.  A blue Dodge Neon was seen driving away from the area toward Kelsey Avenue.

            Officer Gary Lewis conducted a preliminary investigation and learned the identity of the 20 year-old shooter.  He apparently fired at a 12-year old who was standing in the area.  The suspect allegedly exited a vehicle, assumed a combat shooting stance, and fired five rounds at the startled 12-year old.  The victim was not struck by the gunfire.  Officer Lewis quickly broadcast this information over the radio for all officers.  Officer Loucas subsequently located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. 

Friday, May 15, 2009, 10:45 p.m., 100 block of W. Nevin Ave.--Officers were advised that a male suspect (known as “Face”) forcibly entered the residence and discharged at least two rounds from a handgun.  The victim fled from the residence and reported that the suspect may have shot one of the two other people there (including an infant).  While cars were en- route, Communications advised further that “Face” had left the residence and was driving away in a cream colored Buick Regal.  Officer Gunnar Googins picked up a similar vehicle traveling west on W. Nevin Ave. at “A” Street.  The suspect car made evasive maneuvers before it stopped in the middle of the roadway on W. Nevin Ave.  The suspect fled from the car and disappeared into the block.  Sgt. Mitch Peixoto marked the location where the suspect was last seen/heard during his flight.  Officer Jeff Hill and his K-9 partner located the suspect hiding in a yard on the 400 block of “A” Street and he was apprehended with canine contact a short time later.  Sht. Mollenbernd and a number of other officers assisted with this arrest.

            The victim who fled initially reported that the suspect had forced her front door open and punched her—the force of the blow knocked her to the floor.  She was holding an infant at the time and the infant fell from her arms, and then she was brutally kicked by the suspect.  While statements were being taken, a shooting victim from the 100 block of W. Nevin arrived at Kaiser Hospital with a gunshot wound injury to the ankle.  Meanwhile, back near the crime scene, a neighbor also told officers that the suspect had tossed a handgun near 319 - 1^st Street.  Offices recovered a Keltec model P-11, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol there. 

Friday, May 15, 2009, 8:50 a.m., 400 block of Bissell--Officer Matt Anderson went to a call of drug dealing at 410 Bissell Ave.  He made contact with a parolee there who was determined not be involved in the drug activity, but who willingly provided information on a male in the area who was dealing narcotics.  This parolee gave Anderson a description of the dealer.  Before Anderson left the area, he saw a person answering the provided description appear on the sidewalk from a nearby building.

            Officer Anderson initiated consensual contact with this dealer.  Shortly thereafter the dealer ran away, disappearing into the block.  Anderson circled the block, monitoring the suspect’s flight.  Anderson was on the 400 block of 4^th Street when a neighbor flagged him down, showed him the backyard fence that the man in flight had gone over, and told him that the suspect was hiding in a shed there. Anderson approached with cover and found the 27 year-old male suspect hiding.  The suspect spontaneously blurted out “I’m dirty,” as he lay down on the ground when he was contacted.  The subsequent detention and pat search yielded a loaded .40 pistol in his front waistband.  A search incident to arrest led to the recovery of 50 individually packaged pieces of base cocaine (weight of 9.1 grams) in the suspect’s pocket with an additional uncut chunk of cocaine in a plastic bag (weight of 7.2 grams).  He also had over $600 which was seized.

Friday, May 15, 2009, 9:20 a.m., Macdonald Ave. and Harbour Way--Officer Mandell and his recruit, Officer Odegaard, responded to the report of a robbery in which the victim, (a16 year-old male), was waiting for a bus at Macdonald Ave. and Harbour Way.  He was approached by the 16 year-old suspect, who walked up and told the suspect to give him his “stuff.”  The victim refused and the suspect punched him in the mouth.  A fight ensued during which time the victim managed to pull off the suspect’s hoodie.  The suspect then fled on foot, but managed to take the victim’s IPod that had fallen to the ground.

            The victim followed the suspect to Gompers Continuation School, notified school personnel, and was able to find the suspect on campus.  Officers arrived, detained the suspect, performed an in-field line-up, and arrested the suspect after he was identified.  The suspect was booked and post-Miranda he told Officer Odegaard that he engaged in a fight with the victim as the victim was “mean-mugging” him.  After the fight he decided to take the victim’s IPod as it fell on the ground.