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Add an EventBlueford Supporters Get the Goods with City Council Disruptions; OPD Releases Police Reports: photos & PDFs
On September 18th, the family of Alan Blueford and supporters disrupted the Oakland city council meeting, demanding answers and accountability for the murder of Alan Blueford by officer Miguel Masso on May 6th. The meeting was shut down by council members before its scheduled conclusion when members just walked out of the chamber. City leaders followed up the next day by announcing that new policies would be devised to regulate public attendance of city council meetings.
Knowing that those demanding justice for Alan Blueford intended to return to city hall on October 2nd to continue to press demands, the city brought out dozens of Oakland police, closed to the public the viewing galleries above council chambers, and restricted who was allowed to attend the meeting in the main hall, leaving many seats empty.
Nevertheless, enough demonstrators, including Alan Blueford's family, made it into the main chamber before OPD locked down the room at the start of the meeting that normal council business was not allowed to proceed. Eventually, an exasperated councilmember Larry Reid handed over his personal copy of the police reports to the Blueford family, reports that Oakland police chief Howard Jordan posted online for public consumption at about the same time. The Blueford family thanked supporters for demonstrating for justice for their son. Family and supporters then left city hall for the night to review the the non-redacted information in the reports.
Witness statements in the police reports released reveal that Alan was on his back at the time he was shot by Masso, trying to get up, did not have a gun in his hand, and said, "I didn’t do anything." A press conference will be held by the Blueford family on Friday at 4pm at Oakland City Hall to demand Masso be fired and prosecuted for murdering their son.
For a report from inside council chambers on October 2nd, see http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/10/03/18722958.php.
For further information:
Officer Involved Shooting Incidents
I am cognizant of my duty to provide public safety through a focus and dedication by means of crime prevention and crime response. Paramount to my duty, I place my personal values of honesty, integrity, courage and respect. These values are required by me, my profession, and the oath I took to serve. Through my 24 years of service to the City of Oakland, I have demonstrated these values in my relationships with, and service to, my community. It is important to me that my values, which have now become the values of the Department I lead, are equally exhibited in moments of routine as well as in moments of critical incident.
Officer-involved shootings may undoubtedly impact and affect police and community relations more so than any other incident or event. And deservedly so. These incidents represent moments of police authority and uses of lethal force – authority provided to us by law and derived from public consent - that result in the most contentious and adversarial of all outcomes.These possible consequences exist during the course of each and every patrol officer’s shift when I ask them to go out and intelligently and lawfully use their training to intervene in potentially criminal behavior or to react to crime and exigent circumstances as they occur. Each of these requests requires trust in my officers, and trust in my leadership, to act professionally, ethically, and under the knowledge and weight of accountability for our actions.
Pursuant to their request under the California Public Records Request Act, the below documents were released October 2nd to the attorney representing the family of a young man named Alan Blueford who was shot and killed during an officer-involved shooting shortly after midnight on May 6, 2012.* Although the District Attorney’s Office has not yet released their independent report regarding the filing of criminal charges, and my Internal Affairs Division has yet to present its findings to the Department’s Executive Force Review Board, I have authorized this release to the public. I am hopeful that these documents will help serve to provide clarification and understanding.
This release is not intended to address all questions and criticisms that exist; however, critical issues regarding the investigation, the providing of medical care and aid, summary witness statements, lab results, the Coroner's report, and independently corroborated facts and circumstances as they existed on the scene are addressed through this release. I also request the public’s understanding that, at this point in time, I am unable to comment on the specific issues of training, policy, or law that are relevant to the investigation. The purpose of the Executive Force Review Board is to assess, in full, the actions of all involved officers and to determine whether the force used was in compliance with Departmental policies and procedures, and to assess whether or not changes to policies or procedures are needed.
– Chief Howard A. Jordan
| Alan Dwayne Blueford | |
| Blueford Report | Incident Recall (Radio Transccript) |
| Crime Scene Report | Coroner's Report |
| Lab Report | May 6 and May 7, 2012 Nixle Alerts |
| Press Release | |
* Witness names and personal information of witnesses have been redacted to protect their confidentiality given valid and articulable safety concerns, pursuant to Government Code 6255. Certain internal information regarding police procedure and transmissions, and their meaning for police response, has been redacted since the release of internal tactics may jeopardize safe and efficient operations.
- Chief Howard A. JordanDonate
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