Oakland High-Speed Chase, Shooting Suspect Appears In Court
OAKLAND (BCN) -- A man who participated in a shooting and high-speed chase in Oakland on Wednesday that ended with a police officer fatally shooting his companion was arraigned Friday on four felony counts stemming from the incident.
Jereme Brown, 24, was charged with shooting at an occupied vehicle, evading a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of ammunition.
Brown, who was on parole, was also charged with having three prior felony convictions, which could add to his state prison time if he's convicted.
According to the charges filed by Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Norbert Chu, Brown has prior convictions for possession of concentrated cannabis, receiving stolen property and being an accessory to a crime after the fact.
Police investigators said in a probable cause statement filed in Alameda County Superior Court that the incident began at 4:12 p.m. on Wednesday, when Brown and Martin Flenaugh, 19, were standing together near a car in front of 7630 Lockwood St. in East Oakland.
Police said a witness heard a noise and saw Brown making gestures with his hands. The witness then say an unknown man on the corner of 78th Avenue and Lockwood Street, about 50 yards away, was shooting toward Brown and Flenaugh, according to police.
Investigators said another witness saw Flenaugh with a firearm in each hand shooting at somebody.
Police said it's not known if anyone was injured in the shooting on Lockwood Street but gunfire struck the car of the second witness and evidence indicates that only the rounds fired from the position of Flenaugh and Brown could have struck her car.
Authorities don't think Brown fired any shots but he's charged with shooting at an occupied vehicle because he was an accomplice of Flenaugh, Chu said.
Police said Brown and Flenaugh then got into their car, with Brown at the wheel.
Nearby patrol officers tried to stop Brown and Flenaugh, but Brown drove off at speeds that eventually reached about 70 mph, investigators said.
After a chase that lasted eight to 10 minutes, Brown drove through a red light at the intersection of 85th Avenue and San Leandro Street and crashed into another car, disabling both cars, according to the probable cause statement. The person in the other car wasn't seriously injured, police said.
Brown attempted to escape but officers chased him on foot and captured him about a block away.
According to Oakland police Capt. Ersie Joyner, Flenaugh got out of the car armed with two guns and ignored officers' orders to surrender so an officer shot and killed him.
Flenaugh had prior convictions for burglary and possession of marijuana, according to court records.
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