A shop owner in Oakland Chinatown has been arrested after firing a handgun in an attempt to fight off a robbery.
The incident, which happened at a liquor store at 9th St. and Franklin St. late Monday, comes as many residents are on edge following a string of violent attacks in the area. According to KPIX-5, a store owner told officers they saw a woman being robbed of her camera and when the suspect knocked that woman to the ground, the owner ran out with a gun.
They reportedly fired four shots and ordered the suspect to leave.
After the suspect fled in a vehicle, officers took the store owner into custody.
"Our message really is that we don’t want to see our business owners or others begin to arm themselves," Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said in a Facebook Live video Tuesday afternoon. "We would really prefer them to be good witnesses and give us the observations that they have, share that information, call law enforcement immediately and let OPD respond and follow up."
The store owner faces one count of felony assault with a firearm.
It's not clear if the man spent the night in jail.
Anyone with information is asked to call 510-238-3951.
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