OAKLAND — The Oakland Police Department on Friday released video footage of a deadly police shooting last month near City Hall involving an off-duty officer on his way to work and a man who authorities say pointed a gun at him.
According to police, the footage was taken from three nearby security cameras that recorded the early morning shooting on Nov. 7 at the intersection of 16th Street and San Pablo Avenue.
Oakland Police say that one of their sergeants — identified as Sven Hamilton — was not in uniform and driving to police headquarters in an unmarked car around 4 a.m. when a man identified as 52-year-old Lloyd Dillard walked across the street as the sergeant pulled up to the curb.
In the released video, Dillard is seen walking behind the car and hitting the trunk, prompting Hamilton to get out. Moments later, Hamilton ducks back into his car as the video shows Dillard point a handgun in his direction.
From inside the car, the sergeant fires several shots at Dillard, who fell backward onto the sidewalk. That is followed by the sight of Hamilton getting out and, keeping the car between him and Dillard, firing more shots after a prone Dillard appears to raise his gun.
Dillard died at the shooting site, and police say officers recovered a loaded gun next to him. Police have not stated explicitly that Dillard fired at Hamilton, and it’s not clear from the footage whether he did.
The only police reference to whether Dillard opened fire was disclosing that multiple different caliber bullet casings were collected at the shooting scene. However, the police union has described the encounter as a “decisive exchange of gunfire.”
The sergeant, who was not uniform or driving a readily identifiable police vehicle, also was not wearing a body-worn camera, police say.
The released video footage generally aligns with an account of the shooting given by Harry Stern, Hamilton’s attorney.
“It’s clear the sergeant had no other choice but to defend himself when he was attacked. It was one of the most harrowing incidents I’ve seen, even in the context of the out-of-control crime in the city of Oakland,” Stern said in an interview last month.
Oakland Police Officers’ Association President Barry Donelan weighed in on the shooting after the video release.
“Sgt. Hamilton demonstrated great courage, tactics and professionalism while under fire in this life-threatening situation,” Donelan said in a statement.
The shooting is being investigated by the Oakland Police Department’s Homicide Section and Internal Affairs Division, as well as the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Oakland Community Police Review Agency.
Staff writer Robert Salonga contributed to this report.