OAKLAND — A security guard with a television news crew was shot during an attempted robbery downtown on Wednesday, police said.
The shooting happened around 12:20 p.m. in the 300 block of 14th Street, just west of Webster Street, police said.
When officers responded to the area, they found the guard conscious and breathing and suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper abdomen. He was taken to a hospital,
His condition was not immediately released. Authorities said he successfully underwent surgery.
In its story Wednesday afternoon, KRON-TV Channel 4 acknowledged the guard was protecting their reporters.
A security guard hired by KRON4 was shot Wednesday afternoon while on assignment with a KRON4 reporter.https://t.co/b0DzVDeDOk
— KRON4 News (@kron4news) November 24, 2021
Sources confirmed to the Bay Area News Group that the security guard is a former police officer who had served in San Jose. Records showed he also worked as an officer in Hayward, Oakland and Colma.
The crew was apparently doing a follow-up story to a large burglary that happened about 11:15 p.m. Monday at the Prime 356 boutique on 14th Street and was recording video outside the store when the suspects attacked them, authorities said
Some people in the area reported hearing multiple gunshots.
Police did not immediately release any information on suspects, but asked business owners nearby to check surveillance video cameras for possible footage related to the incident.
OPD is investigating an attempted armed robbery and shooting of an armed security guard. The incident happened today just before 12:30PM in the 300 block of 14th Street. The security guard was struck by gunfire as he was accompanying a media crew who was working on a news story. pic.twitter.com/0n95nF7Met
— Oakland Police Dept. (@oaklandpoliceca) November 25, 2021
For information leading to the arrest of a suspect, police, Crime Stoppers and the company that employs the guard are offering up to $17,500 in reward money. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or 510-238-3426 or Crime Stoppers of Oakland at 510-777-8572.
Please check back for updates. Staff writer George Kelly contributed to this report.
Source: www.mercurynews.com