An Oakland police officer died while on duty near Jack London Square

An undercover Oakland police officer was shot and killed while responding to a reported robbery at a cannabis dispensary near Jack London Square Friday morning, authorities said.

The killer apparently remained at large Friday night.

The killing of the officer, identified as Tuan Le by the Police Department, has sent shockwaves throughout the city, which continues to struggle with an increase in violent crime and robberies. Le, 36, was surrounded by his wife, family and members of the department when he died at Highland Hospital in Oakland, said Barry Donelan, president of the police union.

Le was hired by the Oakland Police Department in 2019 and graduated from the 183rd Police Academy in February 2020. He is survived by his wife and mother.

“His death leaves a void in the law enforcement community, in the city of Oakland and in the hearts of those who knew him,” the police department said in a statement. “He will be remembered for his kindness, his smile and the positive change he brought to the lives of those around him. He is a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer.”

KTVU Channel 2 TV reported Friday night that at least two suspects in the robbery had been arrested, but added that it had no word that the shooter was among them. Officials vowed to bring the killer to justice.

“I know all of Oakland is feeling the impact of this loss,” Mayor Sheng Thao said during a news conference at Oakland police headquarters.

He asked residents to stand by the police department and the slain officer’s family during “this extremely difficult time.”

Governor Gavin Newsom also expressed his sadness at Le’s death and ordered flags at the State Capitol to be flown at half-staff.

“Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the tragic loss of one of Oakland’s finest,” Newsom said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire state, Jennifer and I offer our deepest condolences to Officer Le’s family, colleagues and the entire Oakland community as we mourn the loss of a brave public servant.”

The events leading up to the shooting began around 1 a.m. when a team of officers assigned to an overnight robbery suppression operation responded to a report of a robbery in progress at an Embarcadero dispensary , near Fifth Avenue, though nothing came of it, the acting police chief said. Darren Allison said. The officers took a report, investigated and left.

It was unclear if the officer who was killed was part of the team that responded to the initial call of the robbery.

Around 4:30 a.m., a report came in of another robbery in progress at the same business, Allison said.

Plainclothes and uniformed officers responded. They found several people, including one who fired multiple shots, hitting one of the plainclothes officers, who was driving an unmarked vehicle, Allison said.

The injured officer’s colleagues rushed him to a hospital, where medical personnel tried to save him, but the officer died at around 8.45am.

Homicide detectives were investigating the officer’s slaying, Allison said, adding that there was “plenty” of evidence that officials were following up on.

The incident prompted a large police response at the Embarcadero, which was closed to the public until the afternoon.

Allison said the shooting underscores that “the dangers and demands of this profession are real and take a significant toll.” He conveyed his condolences to the agent’s family and friends.

Donelan said officers were distraught by the “unjustified” attack and the loss of one of their own.

“As every Oakland police officer mourns the loss of our colleague, let’s be clear that no stone will be left unturned in an effort to find those responsible and bring them to justice in this case,” Donelan said .

Mayor and City Manager Jestin Johnson said the officer’s shooting death has left the entire city in mourning.

“We are devastated. we are angry We are united in grief,” Johnson said, adding that the incident highlights the courage and bravery of the officers.

Thao added that the “senseless” killing “will not stand.”

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price called the incident a “tremendous tragedy for our entire community” and said her office is ready to prosecute the officer’s killer.

“The deadly violence we’ve experienced in Oakland in recent years has no place in Alameda County,” Price said in a statement.

Le was born in 1987 in Saigon, Vietnam and later moved to Oakland, according to the police department. He became a naturalized citizen on Sept. 11, 2001. For the past two years, Le worked as a community resource officer in West Oakland, the department said.

The shooting comes as the city continues to struggle with an increase in violent crime, driven in large part by an increase in burglaries. Armed robberies are up 37 percent this year compared to the same period last year, according to Police Department data. Commercial burglaries increase by 9%.

The incident marked the 54th killing of an Oakland police officer in the line of duty.

The last time Oakland police officers were killed on the job was March 21, 2009, when four officers were gunned down. The shooter, Lovelle Mixon, 26, shot Sgt. Mark Dunakin and Officer John Hege during a traffic stop. Two hours later, when a SWAT team raided an apartment where Mixon was hiding, he shot the sergeants. Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai.