Tag Archives: Berkeley fatality
Berkeley community remembers teen slain in Oakland
[Editor's Note: Olajuwon Clayborn's funeral will be held Friday, May 17, at 11 a.m. at Missionary Church of God in Christ, 1125 Allston Way, in Berkeley.]
Students and teachers in one of Berkeley High’s small schools were left reeling this week after a former member of their cohort was shot and killed in East Oakland over the weekend.
Those who knew Olajuwon Clayborn, 17, described him as a sweet, quiet guy, a well-dressed ladies man who was passionate about basketball, and a dedicated student despite struggles in the classroom. Clayborn attended Berkeley schools from pre-school through 11th grade; he transfered to Castlemont High School in Oakland last fall for his senior year.
“If he loved you, he loved you to death,” said best friend Lonnie Brewer, 18, a Berkeley High senior in the school’s Communication Arts & Science (CAS) program. ”He had your back. If I had an argument on the court, he’d be right there.” … Continue reading »
Emotional pleas prompt call for Kayla Moore report
After a heated public comment period Tuesday night before the Berkeley City Council — which led police officers to drag a man from the room and caused Mayor Tom Bates to shout for order after CopWatch supporters refused to cede the floor — participants in the fight for “justice for Kayla Moore” may be one step closer to discovering what happened the February night Moore died in police custody. (See Berkeleyside’s videos of the incidents below.)
Family members of the deceased Moore told the council they have received no information or communication from police or the city since the death, which took place Feb. 12. The Berkeley Police Department released a preliminary statement on the incident in February, but has otherwise declined to comment while the Alameda County coroner’s office completes its report on the death investigation. … Continue reading »
Berkeley Police release statement on in-custody death
The Berkeley Police Department released the following statement Wednesday night regarding the death in custody earlier this month of 41-year-old Xavier Christopher Moore. Three community groups have planned a press conference for Thursday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. to express concerns about the death and ask for more information. (Scroll down for details.) Moore’s stepmother, Elysse Paige-Moore, told Berkeleyside that “it’s been a horrible, horrible time for the family, really quite devastating. My husband and daughter have gone through an extraordinary level of grief. This has been a 40-year battle to protect my child who has serious biologic mental health problems.” She also expressed remorse that “the laws didn’t allow us to do more to care for and protect him.” … Continue reading »
Name released after death in custody, cause unknown
Authorities have released the name of the person who died in custody on Feb. 12 — after police were called to a downtown Berkeley apartment building for a mental health evaluation — as Xavier Christopher Moore.
Moore was a 41-year-old Berkeley resident, according to the Alameda County coroner’s office, which released Moore’s name earlier this week.
Moore’s cause of death has not been determined, according to the coroner’s office, and has been deferred pending toxicology testing. (Toxicology reports can take weeks or months to complete.)
According to the Berkeley Police Department, Moore stopped breathing while under restraint after struggling with police.
According to a statement released Feb. 13, police said they were dispatched to the 2000 block of Allston Way for a mental health evaluation. Once there, they spoke with the reporting party, then were directed to Moore’s residence. (Media reports have identified Moore’s residence as the Gaia Building at 2116 Allston Way, but police have declined to confirm the exact location.) … Continue reading »
Man dies after struggle with Berkeley Police
Authorities are investigating the death of a man who stopped breathing after a violent struggle with police Tuesday night, officials said.
According to a statement released by the Berkeley Police Department just after 4 p.m., authorities were dispatched to the 2000 block of Allston Way for a mental health evaluation at about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday.
“Upon arrival, uniformed officers spoke with the reporting party and were directed to the 41 year old male subject’s residence nearby,” according to the statement. ”During the contact, the subject became increasingly agitated and uncooperative to the officer’s verbal commands and began to scream and violently resist. After struggling with officers they were able to gain control of the subject and place him in restraints. The subject continued to kick and scream at officers.” … Continue reading »
Berkeley man found dead in water at Oakland Marina
A Berkeley man found dead in the water near the Oakland Marina at Jack London Square appears to have died of natural causes, according to the Alameda County coroner’s office.
The body of Richard Rice, 59, was found Saturday at about 9 a.m.
Rice’s cause of death does not appear to be suspicious, a staffer at the coroner’s office said Monday. … Continue reading »
Update, 11:32 am: All three of the occupants of the Cadillac are currently Berkeley residents, according to new information released by BPD.
The male driver and the child remain in the hospital.
Very preliminary evidence suggests the Cadillac was travelling northbound on California Street when it struck the roundabout in the intersection of Allston Way, then collided with the tree on the eastside of California Street, just north of Allston Way. BDP writes: “These turnabouts, roundabouts, traffic circles are intended to be traffic calming features. There have been collisions periodically at these features around the City of Berkeley and yet, the number is not remarkable enough to suggest that they are the significant issue in this collision. Impairment of the driver is always a part of these types of investigations.” See City Report on fatal accidents in Berkeley since 1984.
Update, 8:55 am: A young woman in her 20s died in the crash. She was a passenger in the car that was being driven by a man, also believed to be in his 20s, and there was a child in the back seat, according to media reports. The car, a Cadillac with a Compton registration is believed to have been traveling at high speed before its careered into a tree on California. The car was severely mangled and it proved hard to extricate the people inside, according to BPD spokesperson Sgt Mary Kusmiss. “It was a challenge for both patrol officers and the fire department to get the individuals out of the car. The officers and fire department did some heroic work to get them out,” she told KTVU who published a photograph of the wreck.
Original story: On Friday May 18, at about 1:13 a.m, a car with one driver and two passengers struck a tree at California Street and Allston Way. One of the occupants of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, while two other occupants were transported to local hospital trauma units with serious injuries.
City of Berkeley Police Department patrol officers responded to a collision on California Street and Allston Way and found the car on California Street just north of Allston Way. City of Berkeley Fire Department personnel responded as well.
The BPD FAIT (Fatal Accident Collision Team) was on scene has started its investigation.
BPD is not releasing the names or ages of the occupants of the car out of respect for their families.
This is the second fatal collision of 2012. On January 30, 2012, a car struck a young man on a skateboard at Marin and Tulare in North Berkeley. The skateboarder dies as a result of his injuries.
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