Alameda County DA Price: Suspects in Kevin Nishita killing to face new charges
OAKLAND – Prosecutors in Alameda County announced Friday that new charges have been filed against the three men accused of killing former police officer and security guard Kevin Nishita in 2021.
District Attorney Pamela Price said 29-year-old Laron Gilbert, 26-year-old Hershel Hale and 27-year-old Shadihia Mitchell have all been charged with murder, attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. The updated complaint also charges the three men with gang and gun enhancements.
"We have an obligation to get it right, and these charges are consistent with the actual evidence in the case," Price said.
In a statement from the DA's office, Price claimed that prosecutors under her predecessor had made mistakes and failed to include some charges.
"At my direction, our team reevaluated the evidence, discovered those mistakes, and resubmitted the charges to ensure that the men whom we believe committed these crimes will be held fully accountable," Price said.
The DA's statement did not elaborate further on what mistakes were made.
Nishita served as a security guard for Bay Area TV news crews, including KPIX. On November 24, 2021, Nishita was shot while guarding a crew in downtown Oakland. He died from his injuries several days later.
Mitchell and Hale were arrested on murder charges in 2022. Gilbert left the Bay Area and evaded authorities until he was arrested in the Kansas City, Missouri area last month.
With the new filing, prosecutors said all three suspects will be tried together. If convicted of all counts, Gilbert faces a maximum sentence of 189 years to life in prison, Hale faces a maximum sentence of 151 years to life and Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 78 years to life.
Prosecutors said all three men are scheduled to enter their pleas on March 8.