Report: Off-duty sergeant who was dining with his wife fatally shoots armed robber at a fast-food restaurant

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Report: Off-duty sergeant who was dining with his wife fatally shoots armed robber at a fast-food restaurant

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SAN PABLO, CA- According to authorities, an off-duty University of California-Berkeley police sergeant fatally shot an armed suspect who was attempting to rob a Nation’s Giant Hamburgers restaurant in the 16300-block of San Pablo Avenue at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 12th. 

Investigators with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office said that the off-duty police sergeant was dining at the restaurant when the gunman, identified as 29-year-old Amanuel Moreno, entered the establishment.

A terrified employee said that the gunman, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, headed over the the cashier and ordered her to open the register. She explained:

“[He] had a gun pointed at us. I was the one talking to him. He was talking to me. If anyone were to get shot, I would have been the first one…”

As she recalled what happened next, the employee said that at that moment, someone in the back of the restaurant yelled at the gunman to drop his weapon. She explained:

“I ran and all I heard was a gunshot. I don’t know how many shots. I just heard one.”

Police stated that the off-duty sergeant fired a single round, fatally wounding the armed suspect. Moreno was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The supervisor at the restaurant said that there were at least three employees working at the time of the incident. The same employee mentioned above said:

“A man came in, had a gun and pointed it at us. I can’t really describe how I feel after that, just shaken up.”

The woman who was staring down the barrel of Moreno’s firearm said she is thankful that the off-duty sergeant was there and intervened. She added:

“I’ll just say thank you because he was there. He didn’t know if he was going to get shot. He didn’t know if he could have died at that moment. He just wanted to protect us.”

The off-duty sergeant, identified as Brian Sato, was having lunch with his wife when he saw the robbery. Sgt. Sato is the lead firearms instructor and range master for the UC Berkeley Police Department and has served overseas as an Army reservist. 

Report: Off-duty sergeant who was dining with his wife fatally shoots armed robber at a fast-food restaurant

Ram Umali, a Valero Gas Station employee, said that moments prior to the robbery, the station’s camera captured a man in a hoodie walking from Tara Hills Road entering the restaurant. Three minutes later, another man comes out running back and forth to his parked car and then the police arrive. Umali said:

“I would just give the money because I value my life more. It is shocking because I’ve been working here for a long time already and that’s like one of the first times that I heard a robbery. It’s scary right now.”

KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza noted that many police officers, while off-duty, carry their service weapon or an alternative weapon. He also said that cases like these should serve as a warning to would-be-robbers.

Cardoza added that the sergeant appears to be justified in shooting the armed suspect, adding:

“You are the one with the gun. People don’t know what you’re going to do with that. They don’t know if you give them money, if you’re going to shoot them after.”

As per protocol, Sato is on administrative leave from the UC Berkeley Police Department while the shooting remains under investigation by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Moreno reportedly served time in federal prison for robbing several East Bay banks of $6,000 in 2012 and 2013. In a sentencing memo in that case, federal prosecutors wrote:

“The defendant’s criminal conduct has demonstrated a concerning history of violence that appears to be escalating … In the final bank robberies, the defendant moved from telling the victim tellers that he had a gun to outright threats to shoot them.”

The investigation is ongoing and authorities said there are no outstanding suspects and there is no threat to public safety. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 925-313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 925-646-2441. 

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Watch: Unarmed Marine veteran disarms armed robbery suspect while still holding groceries in epic takedown

October 23rd, 2021

YUMA COUNTY, AZ- Surveillance video shows the moment an unarmed Marine veteran took down an armed robber at a gas station. Watch below:

Yuma County Sheriff’s Office posted a press release detailing the incident. The incident happened on Wednesday, October 20th at approximately 4:30 a.m. Deputies were called to an armed robbery report at the Chevron located at 10747 E. North Frontage Road.

The press release stated that upon arrival, deputies learned that three suspects entered the Chevron, one of them armed with a handgun. Authorities said:

“The armed suspect walked next to a store customer while pointing the weapon toward the cashier when the customer acted immediately and disarmed him. The other two suspects fled the area when they witnessed their fellow criminal stopped. The customer was able to detain the suspect he disarmed until law enforcement arrived.”

According to police, the suspect detain during the incident was a juvenile and has since been booked into the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center on one count of armed robbery and one count of aggravated assault. The other two suspects remain at large. The case remains under investigation.

When deputies contacted the customer, who previously served in the United States Marine Corps, and asked how he was able to take control of the situation, the Marine who has not been identified, said:

“The Marine Corps taught me not to [mess] around.”

Video of the incident has been viewed more than 114,000 times and has gotten more than 3,000 comments and reactions . One commenter wrote:

“What an amazing act of courage.”

Another user said:

“That’s a true hero right there. Fast acting much appreciated.”

In a separate incident, an Oneida County ex-convict has been arrested after he was accused of shooting and pistol whipping a man he was trying to rob. According to a news released issued by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, 38-year-old Clifton E. Bibbins of Utica, New York, was taken into custody by deputies.

New York State prison records indicate that Bibbins previously served time at the Watertown Correctional Facility in Jefferson County after he was convicted of armed robbery in 2006. 

On October 14th, deputies were called to the Milton Meadows Apartments at 10 Robins Way in the town of Lansing for a reported shooting during a home invasion. A 31-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to his foot and cuts to his head from being hit with a handgun.

The man reported that he opened his apartment door and was attacked by two people. Police stated that the two suspects demanded money from the man. One of the men was identified as Bibbins, but the second person has not yet been identified by police.

Bibbins has been charged with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. All four charges are felonies. Bibbins is being held at the Tompkins County Jail with no bail. 

In another incident, authorities have arrested a Saltville, Virginia man in Spartanburg, South Carolina for his role in an armed robbery that left a gas station teller injured and $338 lighter. 

According to Saltville Police Chief Erik Puckett, 33-year-old Ryan Huffman allegedly entered a Cargo Gas Station brandishing a knife and demanding money. Puckett said Huffman injured the teller in the exchange, cutting her hand. Huffman left the building and fled the scene.

Over two weeks later, Huffman was arrested after U.S. Marshals found him staying in a motel. The arrest report states that officers found “numerous needles” inside his motel room. Huffman told officers the needles contained fentanyl.

Huffman was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center and waived his right to a trial in that jurisdiction. Puckett said Huffman will be extradited to Virginia where he will face charges of armed robbery and malicious wounding, both of which are felonies.

Editor note: In 2020, we saw a nationwide push to “defund the police”.  While we all stood here shaking our heads wondering if these people were serious… they cut billions of dollars in funding for police officers.  And as a result, crime has skyrocketed – all while the same politicians who said “you don’t need guns, the government will protect you” continued their attacks on both our police officers and our Second Amendment rights.

And that’s exactly why we’re launching this national crowdfunding campaign as part of our efforts to help “re-fund the police”.

For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.

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Unarmed victim? Bodycam video released showing armed robbery suspect open fire on police

October 19th, 2021

Editor note: In 2020, we saw a nationwide push to “defund the police”.  While we all stood here shaking our heads wondering if these people were serious… they cut billions of dollars in funding for police officers.  And as a result, crime has skyrocketed – all while the same politicians who said “you don’t need guns, the government will protect you” continued their attacks on both our police officers and our Second Amendment rights.

And that’s exactly why we’re launching this national crowdfunding campaign as part of our efforts to help “re-fund the police”.

For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.

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ROCHESTER, NY- On Tuesday, October 12th, authorities with the Rochester Police Department (RPD) released body camera footage of a gunfight inside a Family Dollar store that left an armed robber dead.

The day before her resignation as the city’s top cop, Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan released a video briefing the deadly incident. In the video release, she stated:

“It’s always been my goal to be as transparent as possible with the public and to share as much information as we can while keeping in mind that we have to respect the evidentiary value in certain instances.”

The video shared a timeline of events. The chief said the incident began when the city’s 911 call center received a hang-up call at about 9:32 p.m. on October 6th. The 911 operator called back the number and spoke with an employee of the Family Dollar store located in the 700-block of West Main Street.

During the call, the employee told the 911 operator:

“We’re getting robbed … there is male holding the store manager at gunpoint.”

Police said the employee gave a description of the armed robbery suspect as a black man in a blue hoodie and a mask. The body camera showed that when officers entered the Family Dollar store moments later, one of them asked if anyone in the store had a gun.

Video showed that the officers spotted the suspect in the blue hoodie behind the counter with both of his hands in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. One officer told the suspect:

“Let me see your hands. Get out of your pocket, get your hands out of your pocket.”

The video showed the suspect sprinting away into the store, down an isle, ignoring the officer’s commands. The officer chased the suspect, since identified as 24-year-old Simran Gordon. Video showed that the officer managed to grab Gordon’s arm for a split second.

Police stated that then Gordon fired a shot at the officer through a paper bag in which he’d hidden his handgun, causing the officer to return fire. In the video, another shot is heard two seconds later.

Body camera video showed the backup officer had run down the parallel aisle in the store and encountered Gordon at the end where he had fallen. The handgun he had just fired through the paper bag was still in his hand and pointed at the officer.

Police stated that the backup officer fired one shot at the armed suspect. Both officers repeatedly ordered Gordon to drop his weapon, but he failed to comply. The video showed the backup officer was able to kick the handgun out of the suspect’s reach.

Gordon was killed during the shootout. Chief Herriott-Sullivan addressed criticism that officer hadn’t moved quickly enough to render aid to the wounded suspect, despite having called for an ambulance within 30 seconds of the shooting. The police chief explained:

“The officers did not initially render first aid to Mr. Gordon because they had to ensure there were no other suspects in the store or at the scene for everyone’s safety. Our condolences go out to the family of Mr. Gordon.”

The Rochester Police Locus Club released a statement, saying:

“We commend the bravery and professionalism of those officers involved last week in stopping a violent robbery in progress. They put their lives on the line for others when a violent individual made the choice to commit multiple crimes, including shooting at them.”

The statement added:

“Some City Council members have now started to release statements that try to support the officers’ heroic-actions. Others didn’t even bother addressing the community about two young officers nearly being murdered.

These politicians have agendas and have lost sight of the fact that an armed robber targeted community members and tried to kill a cop in this city. There should be no agendas, there should be no sides – everyone should be outraged by this brazen act.”

The statement concluded:

“The City Council statements talk about the complexity of police-community relations. They fail to take ownership for their contribution when they turned their backs on officers and on community members facing unprecedented levels of violent crime.

City Council members should be about this community and not about agendas. They need to start listening to the victims in this city and stop pandering for politics.”

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Robbery suspects caught on video wrestling victim to the ground at a gas station in police-defunded Washington DC

August 5th, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C.– According to authorities, five suspects are being sought after a robbery and beating of a victim at a D.C. gas station was captured on video. 

The Metropolitan Police Department released the surveillance footage of the attack hoping that the public will help identify the suspects. Police stated that the incident began just after 11:10 p.m. on July 24th.

The footage appears to show three people surrounding a male near a parked car at at gas station in the northeast quadrant of the city.

One of the individuals is seen on a bicycle. As the victim begins to walk away, one of the suspects grabs him from behind while another appears to reach into his pants pockets.

The victim is then shoved to the ground and kicked several times. At that point, another suspect comes and appears to help the other two suspects as they appear to go through the victim’s pockets.

As the attack is happening, a person gets into the driver’s seat of the car where the confrontation initially took place and pulls away. The suspect on the bicycle watches a fifth person comes and appears to rob the victim as well.

All five suspects left the scene and left the victim on the ground. Before fleeing, video shows one of the attackers kick the victim once more.

According to data, as of Wednesday, August 4th, robberies are up 3 percent in the city with 1,049 being reported compared to 1,013 in the same time frame in 2020.

Amid an increase in violence across the city, a 31-year-old teacher and father of four was killed on Saturday, July 31st. The victim, Kervin Sanchez, was a teacher at Hope Tolson. His death comes as the city struggles to keep a grip on public safety.

Marvin Moore, a longtime friend of Sanchez, told Fox News’ Steve Doocy that the current climate in the city is “very troubling.” He added:

“It’s very worrisome to not be able to predict whether or not your loved one or your family member is going to return home to you after leaving outside of the house.”

He stated:

“We are in very devastating times and this is unlike anything that I’ve seen in my entire time growing up here in D.C.”

In an effort to combat the rise in violent crime in D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed an $11 million package to hire 170 new officers to bolster the city’s police force.

However, the package that the city council approved only allocates $5 million for new officers.

In a recent statement, Bowser said:

“We need what we need. We need to hire officers as soon as we can and we need the council to understand that.”

In the month of July, D.C. reported three times more homicides than deaths from COVID-19, raising questions around the city’s priorities. Moore said:

“As a community, as a city, we have to figure it out. We have to find a way to create a better resolve. Look for alternative solutions to problem solving.”

He added:

“Something that has to be done that doesn’t leave us having to do interviews about people who’ve passed or about lives that have been lost, especially for people that have such an astounding impact on their community.”

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Police-bashing, BLM-backing D.C. mayor suddenly says ‘defunding the police’ is a bad idea after latest shooting

May 21st, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – The mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, criticized the “defund the police” efforts being taken by the D.C. Council on May 19th following a shooting that occurred in the Shaw neighborhood the evening prior that has left a mother and son in critical condition.

On May 18th slightly before 7:00 p.m., a male subject had parked a rental scooter in the middle of the sidewalk along the 1500 block of 10th Street NW in the Shaw neighborhood.

The neighborhood is considered to be one of the more upper-class areas, with the likes of active construction going on around the block for new homes alongside side some pricey properties.

For reasons unknown, this parked scooter had caused some sort of an altercation between the male subject and at least one other adult that was among a group of other adults that had their children outside as well.

Witnesses say that during this altercation, the male subject pulled out a gun and started shooting – striking one woman and her four-year-old son.

No arrests have been made yet in the case, with officials saying that the suspect is a black male that was wearing a ski-mask mask during the shooting and fled the area on foot following the gunfire.  

One of the neighbors, retired U.S. Navy Admiral Roger Gilberton, has stated that he’d heard the gunfire go off and witnessed a group of people running in fear following the shooting:

“We heard about half a dozen shots and then just a few seconds after that there were five or six people running down P Street.”

Authorities say that at least four gunshots were recorded during the incident.

The two gunshot victims, who have not been identified by officials, were last reported as being in critical condition.

Following an event on May 19th, Mayor Bowser informed reporters inquiring about the investigation that police are “doing everything they can to catch the shooter, and to stop things like this from happening in the future by getting the guns out of the hands of people who have shown they are willing to use them.”

However, Mayor Bowser mentioned that the efforts being taken by the D.C. Council to “defund the police” is not helping the matter, pointing to how budget cuts enacted by the Council have impacted the police department’s ability to onboard much-needed officers.

Back in June of 2020, when calls to defund police departments were likely at their highest point, the D.C. Council voted to cut $15 million from the Metropolitan Police Department. 

Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee did convey that the police are actively searching for the at-large suspect:

“The Metropolitan Police is coming for him, he should be ashamed of himself for what he did to this family tonight.

“And he has to be held accountable for his actions. The community demands it, I demand it, he has to be held accountable for his actions, that’s unacceptable.”

This is an ongoing investigation.

Please follow Law Enforcement Today as we continue to gather further insight into this developing case.

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When it comes to the topic of defunding police, it turns out that it’s not even a popular notion in cities like Portland. 

Law Enforcement Today recently shared a report that shows that 75% of Portland residents do not support defunding the city’s police force. 

Here’s that previous report from earlier in May. 

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PORTLAND, OR – Nearly one year since the “defund the police” movement began, a new poll has revealed that nearly 75% of Portland residents stated they do not support defunding the city’s police force. 

According to a recent poll commissioned by The Oregonian, three-fourths of Portland-area residents said that they do not want to see policing in the city dip below its current levels, with a several stating that they support an increase in police.

From April 30 to May 6, 2021, DHM Research conducted a survey of 600 residents in the Portland metro region. The survey consisted of 600 adult residents in the Portland metro region with half of them in the city of Portland.

When asked in the survey, “Do you think downtown Portland is more or less safe than it was 12 months ago?” 42% of those survey said that it is “much less safe” and only two percent stated it was “much safer.”

Fewer than a quarter of survey participants in Portland and even less among suburban residents, believe that there should be fewer police officers. This important findings coming as activists and some civic leaders in Portland continue to demand further reductions in the police force.

Survey participant Brandon Lane, 61, said that it makes sense to beef up the city’s police force amid a large spike in shootings, a homelessness and addiction crisis, and a downtown battered by a pandemic and months of destructive protests.

Lane stated:

“I’m not sure that it needs to be drastically higher,  but if we defund or reduce the headcount any further, we’re likely to be inviting bigger problems.”

https://twitter.com/TX_VisionShock/status/1394124832208572420

Fox News reported that the poll found that in addition to 75% of respondents who disapprove of the city’s handling of the homelessness situation, 68% also stated that they are not happy with how protests and riots have been handled.

Residents surveyed about the city’s downtown said that they plan to visit less frequently, mainly citing the homelessness and rioting that has plagued the area for nearly a year.

Respondents to the poll used words like “dirty,” “trash,” “riots,” and “unsafe” to describe the heart of the city, which appears to have deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest of the past year.

Downtown Portland, once a cultural and tourist center, is now filled with homeless tents, smashed windows, graffiti, trash, and boarded-up businesses. 

The city has yet to quell continued destruction caused by smaller groups who go through the city purporting to demonstrate for racial justice, smashing windows, and tagging buildings in the process.

Residents also expressed frustration with the apparent lack of arrests related to the destruction. Respondent Laurie Lago, 75, who lives near where the protests have been centered, said:

“There seems in the last year to be this permission to do violence.”

In response to the survey results, Daryl Tuner, the executive director of the Portland Police Association, the union that represents the city’s rank-and-file officers, said:

“Residents want to be safe and protected and they don’t have that feeling right now.”

He added that City Council trimmed the police budget by $15 million during summer 2020. He stated:

“This message is clearly not being heard by Portland’s elected leaders, who only listen to those who talk the loudest.”

After the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office refused to file charges against many of the rioters arrested for assaulting police and destroying property during 2020, federal prosecutors stepped up at the urging of then-President Donald Trump and filed charges against 97 suspects.

However, under President Joe Biden’s administration, 58 of those cases have been deferred or outright dismissed. Felony assaults on federal officers were the nexus for 16 of the 31 deferred cases.

Seven suspects plead guilty, but reportedly, only one will serve any prison time. Former acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Chard Wolf, said in a statement:

“It’s offensive to all the men and women who risked their lives in Portland for 90 to 120 days or even longer in some cases, being attached night after night after night.”

In 2020, when the city cut $15 million from the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) budget, the move did away with school resource officers, the Gun Violence Reduction Team, and the Transit Division Program.

The Gun Violence Reduction Team was later brought back to help combat the surge in gun violence, but there was no additional funds to help support it.

In the meantime, city lawmakers dumped $6 million into adding 24 unarmed park rangers to patrol neighborhoods and parks as well as to help fund community organizations seeking to address violence in the community.

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About The Author

Jenna Curren, Ed.D., is an assistant professor in criminal justice studies. As chair of a CJ advisory board, Jenna actively partners with members of the community to integrate current students into internships and prospective law enforcement careers. Prior to working in academics, Jenna held various custody and treatment positions and was a lieutenant for the CT Department of Correction. Throughout her tenure, she supervised men, women, youth and mental health offenders. A C.E.R.T and honor guard member, as well as a training officer, Jenna has 10 years of experience in the criminal justice and human services fields.

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