OAKLAND — Authorities identified a man fatally shot last week by a retired Oakland police officer during an apparent armed robbery.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said the man was Vallejo man Desoni Djuan Lamar Gardner. The death is the 115th this year that Oakland police are investigating as a homicide. Social-media posts have called Gardner, 20, by his hip-hop stage name, Lil Theze.
Gardner was fatally shot during an October 21 robbery of Ersie Joyner III, a decorated retired Oakland police captain, at a gas station in the 1700 block of Castro Street.
Joyner, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, was taken to a hospital and initially listed in critical but stable condition, but is currently recovering.
In surveillance footage taken at the scene that appears to depict at least part of the robbery, three men approach and surround Joyner, patting him down before appearing to take items from him.
A moment later, Joyner pulls a handgun and opens fire, fatally shooting Gardner. Seconds later, Joyner is shot while exchanging gunfire with at least one of the suspects, who managed to drive away.
As of Friday afternoon, police have not made any suspect arrests or found the vehicle, seen in an image released by investigators Saturday as a black four-door 2014 Nissan Sentra with tinted windows, custom rims and a San Francisco 49ers license-plate holder.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of suspects. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821, 510-238-3278 or 510-238-7950, as well as Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
Source: www.mercurynews.com