Two officers opened fire after police said less-lethal force failed to stop the man from advancing with a weapon.
OAKLAND, CA — Oakland police fatally shot an armed man Monday after authorities said he fled from California Highway Patrol officers at a homeless encampment and later lunged at officers near International Boulevard.
The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. July 13 in the 4000 block of International Boulevard, near 40th Avenue in East Oakland. Police said officers used less-lethal force before two Oakland officers fired their guns. The man died at the scene despite efforts to provide medical aid. His name had not been released as of Tuesday.
The encounter began when CHP officers were conducting a routine patrol on state property near East 12th Street and State Route 77, an area where homeless encampments are located. CHP said officers saw a person they considered suspicious who appeared to have weapons. Authorities have not disclosed what first drew the officers’ attention to the man or provided a full account of the initial contact.
CHP officials said the man ran from their officers, prompting the agency to request help from the Oakland Police Department. Oakland officers later found him in a shopping center parking lot near International Boulevard and 40th Avenue. Police Chief James Beere said officers gave the man commands and tried to de-escalate the situation.
Police said the man did not follow the commands and advanced toward officers with a weapon. Beere said officers first used less-lethal force, which did not stop the encounter. Two Oakland officers then fired their service weapons. Police have not said how many shots the officers fired or identified the type of less-lethal force used.
NBC Bay Area reported that CHP described the man as being armed with a knife. Oakland police said weapons were recovered at the scene but did not specify how many were found or describe them in the department’s initial written statement. Officials also have not said whether the man pointed a weapon at officers or whether body-camera recordings show the full confrontation.
No officers or bystanders were physically injured, police said. Witnesses described hearing gunfire and seeing a large police response as authorities blocked streets and processed the scene. Kimberly Griffith, who lives near an encampment in the area, told KTVU that she heard gunshots shortly after noticing streets had been closed.
People staying near the encampment said they were trying to learn whether the man was someone they knew. Police had not confirmed whether he lived at the encampment. Authorities also had not released his age or provided information about his background.
The Anti Police-Terror Project, an Oakland-based advocacy group, called for the release of body-camera footage, dispatch recordings and a detailed timeline. The group also questioned whether deadly force was justified, noting that authorities had not initially said the man pointed or fired a weapon. The organization’s concerns represent its interpretation of the limited information released after the shooting.
The two officers who fired their weapons were placed on paid administrative leave under department policy. Oakland police are conducting criminal and administrative investigations, while the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is carrying out an independent review. The city’s Community Police Review Agency has also been notified. Police said additional information would be released as the investigations continue and as permitted by law.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.