Police investigate if Oakland officers violated chase protocol before fatal sideshow crash
OAKLAND -- Police in Oakland on Wednesday said two officers who were investigating a fatal sideshow crash over the weekend may have violated the department's pursuit protocol.
Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong had already announced Monday that the two officers were on administrative leave, but did not provide any details on why they were placed on leave.
On Wednesday, Armstrong held another briefing, noting that some of the details of the investigation had leaked to the public and that he had additional information to share. Armstrong said investigators are looking into whether the officers violated policy when they pursued a car involved in a sideshow that crashed and killed an innocent bystander.
"Any detailed information that is released could compromise this very important investigation," Armstrong said at Wednesday's briefing.
The deadly crash happened early Sunday morning. Police said the driver was leaving a sideshow at a high rate of speed on International Boulevard near 54th Avenue when he crashed and hit multiple people.
The driver of the car in the crash, later identified as 19-year-old Arnold Linaldi, was detained and is being held on charges for vehicular manslaughter.
"Linaldi's vehicle fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. The officers could not keep up with the vehicle and eventually disengaged with the vehicle," said Armstrong.
Armstrong said the driver was going 100 mph when two officers in a marked vehicle tried to pull him over. The officers engaged in a pursuit but couldn't keep up. The driver eventually lost control of his car and crashed.
The crash killed one man -- identified as 28-year-old Hayward resident Lolomanaia Soakai -- and injured multiple others.
"So far, the department has identified several areas in this investigation that are seriously concerning," Armstrong said.
The two officers have been relieved of their police authority and are on full administrative leave, Armstrong said. The department is also in communication with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office regarding the case.
"Any time this department pursues a car, our policies are very clear about the way in which an officer should conduct him or herself; the permissions that they need in order to pursue a vehicle," Armstrong said. "Our policies are online. You can look at our J-4 pursuit policy and it's clear about what's required by officers when they're engaged in pursuit. For this investigation, we'll examine all of the officers' actions to make sure they were within that policy."
The chief said police had identified potential misconduct by the officers, but didn't elaborate. Armstrong said both officers under investigation have only been on the force for about a year and a half.
Police said the collision appeared to be sideshow related. It has yet to be determined if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision. This incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Traffic Investigation Unit at (510) 777-8570.
Katie Nielsen contributed reporting.