SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Kevin Nishita made a difference in a lot of people’s lives — as a police officer, a security guard, a family man and as a friend.
He dedicated his life to the safety and well-being of others, including the news team at KPIX and other Bay Area TV stations.
“He was a part of our news family. The loss is just tremendous,” said KPIX reporter Maria Cid Medina on Saturday.
“It hurts to say, ‘was.’ He was just the kindest man,” said KPIX reporter Andria Borba.
Kevin Nishita, a retired police officer working as a security guard, died early Saturday morning from a gunshot wound he suffered during an attempted robbery and shooting Wednesday
Nishita died Saturday morning after he was shot on Wednesday during an attempted armed robbery. He was working as a security guard for a KRON-TV news crew on location in Oakland at the time.
Journalists from every broadcast news operation in the city have shared their reactions on social media, offering condolences and heartfelt wishes.
“The entire TV market is feeling the loss — in San Francisco and in the Bay Area,” Cid Medina said.
RELATED: News Crew Security Guard Shot in Oakland Dies From Injuries
Local news crews here in the Bay Area often work with security guards while on assignment so the reporters and photographers get to know the guards very well.
“These security guards are standing next to us every single minute that we’re on a story,” Cid Medina said.
Cid Medina says Nishita was always on his game as a security guard but he was also very kind. One night after they worked together, he texted her: “Your story turned out awesome! I give it five stars.”
“He really was one of a kind and really, genuinely, was a caring person,” she said.
Borba also appreciated Nishita’s kindness.
“Kevin was so unfailingly kind,” she said. “The reactions on Twitter and Facebook today from the Bay Area news reporters — we’re all in a state of shock.”
She recently worked a long shift with Nishita. At the end of the night, she was planning on taking the train home but Nishita pleaded with her to let him drive her home to make sure she got there safely.
“Kevin stopped me and said, ‘I can’t let you. It’s not safe for you to be on the train. Let me drive you home, please. My wife would be very upset with me if I let you get on that train.’ So, he drove. An hour out of his way. He claimed, ‘I’m missing some Bay Bridge traffic because of this,’” Borba said. “This is a man who cared so much about our safety, he drove an hour out of his way to make sure I made it home. It hurts that he didn’t make it home.”
A kind soul, someone people felt lucky to call a co-worker and a friend.
“He wanted to make sure people were always OK. He wanted to make sure we were all taken care of,” Borba said. “He wanted to make sure the people we were interviewing were taken care of by putting an umbrella up when it was raining so they wouldn’t get wet. That is the kind of kind human being he is.”
Former Colma police officer Kevin Nishita. Nishita, a retired police officer and armed guard who provided security for many reporters in the region, was fatally shot during an attempted robbery of KRON-TV camera equipment in Oakland (Colma Police Department via AP)
Prior to working as a security guard, Nishita had a long career in law enforcement. He spent several years working as an officer with the Oakland Housing Authority, then went on to the Hayward police department, the San Jose police department, and the Colma police department, where he retired as a sergeant in 2018.
There’s a growing reward out for information leading to an arrest. People with any information that could help with the investigation are urged to contact the Oakland police homicide section at (510) 238-3821, or CrimeStoppers.
Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.