A man is in Oakland police custody on Tuesday after he was allegedly carrying a gun in Joaquin Miller Park, prompting brief lockdowns at two local schools.
The Oakland Police Department told KCBS Radio in a statement it arrested a man on Tuesday in the park after receiving reports of a person armed with a rifle that morning. Police didn't say which charges the suspect was arrested for, nor where he was booked.
Joaquin Miller Elementary School and Montera Middle School, located over a quarter-mile away, were locked down for about 10 minutes as a precaution, according to an Oakland Unified School District spokesperson.
"It was not at our schools, or even particularly close to our schools," district spokesperson John Sasaki told KCBS Radio. "It was at Joaquin Miller Park, which is a ways away, but the police wanted to close down for something as a precaution. And then about 10 minutes later, we were told we could reopen."
At around 9:30 a.m., Oakland police received reports of an armed man in the park, a department spokesperson said. Oakland police, East Bay Regional Parks police, Alameda County Sheriff's officers and California Highway Patrol officers then searched the park on the ground and in the air, relying on a sheriff's office drone for the latter.
As police searched, officers locked down Joaquin Miller Elementary School and Montera Middle School. The principals at both schools didn't respond to KCBS Radio's emailed request for comment prior to publication.
Police said the suspect "surrendered to officers," who recovered a firearm. The Oakland Police Department didn’t specify what kind of gun they found, nor did they specify who the suspect was or the charges for which he was arrested. A department spokesperson said the Felony Assault Unit is conducting an investigation, and officers can be contacted at 510-238-3426.
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