OAKLAND — Two Oakland police officers placed on leave during an investigation into a fatal weekend vehicle-pedestrian collision have been suspended due to new and “seriously concerning” information.
The early Sunday collision involving the apparent police pursuit of Arnold Azael Linaldi’s car, first seen leaving an East Oakland sideshow and driving at speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour before plowing into multiple vehicles, injuring three people and killing 28-year-old Hayward man Lolomanaia Soakai, remains under investigation.
Linaldi, who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after medical clearance and briefly held at Santa Rita Jail, bailed out of custody shortly after attending an arraignment hearing Tuesday at an Oakland courtroom.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, a GoFundMe fund-raising campaign set up Sunday evening to raise money for Soakai’s mother and brother had raised $1,700, surpassing initial goals of $1,000 and then $1,400. This campaign was online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/love-for-lolo-in-honor-of-lolomanaia-soakai.
At a press conference Wednesday evening, called shortly after a KTVU story alleging the officers fled the scene after an unauthorized pursuit and citing unnamed sources within the police department, Oakland police Chief LeRonne Armstrong offered only limited detail about the investigation into the collision, saying that both officers had served the department for about a year and a half.
Although he expressed displeasure with what he described as “information … leaked out to the public,” he insisted that the department would continue to be transparent about the process and its results.
“Any detailed information that is released could compromise this very important investigation,” he said. “When someone’s life is lost, when officers engage in incidents that we are looking deeply into, it’s important that we do investigations that are thorough, comprehensive and complete.”
Armstrong said Wednesday that the department “has identified several areas in his investigation that are seriously concerning” and added that he had suspended the officers, due in part to what he called new video evidence and witness statements, after Monday’s press conference announcing the investigation.
When asked directly why, Armstrong said “we identified potential misconduct, very serious potential misconduct within our investigation.”
He answered some reporters’ questions, explaining that officers typically placed on administrative leave aren’t usually relieved of policing powers, and must see and be cleared by a psychologist within 72 hours of the incident.
He declined to answer specific questions about the officers’ alleged response, citing the ongoing investigation and the possibility of “significant findings that could potentially lead to one’s termination” before saying that department policies are clear about “the way in which an officer should conduct herself, the permissions that they need in order to pursue a vehicle.”
Armstrong said other patrol vehicles were in the area when the crash happened, and that those officers’ interviews, as well as video evidence and some social-media posts, would help establish a timeline of events for use of lights and sirens, and other actions.
In response to a final question asking whether the officers in question left the scene before returning, Armstrong said in part that “we’re exploring all of those officers’ actions from the minute they make contact with the vehicle to the accident, to after the accident, to how the investigation was handled.”
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
Source: www.mercurynews.com