Update: Suspects still at large after attempted armed robbery, manhunt

Update, 11:20 p.m. Police said, as of Ten:45 p.m., they had not found the robbers but were calling off the search. In a Berkeley Police Nixle alert, police said there had been a brief car pursue after the robbery attempt, during which the driver was involved in two minor collisions before abandoning the car. One of the individuals sought by police was described as a black masculine, 15-20 years old and six feet tall. No description was provided about the 2nd person.

Police said, despite an “extensive search,” officers terminated the effort without capturing either person.

Reports in other media of a bank robbery or bank robbery attempt were not accurate. Berkeleyside confirmed this with BPD.

Police have not said whether Tuesday night’s robbery attempt might be related to a slew of other robberies in Berkeley this month, including in the Elmwood.

Detectives have asked community members with information regarding this case to call the BPD robbery detail at 510-981-5741.

Original story, 8:37 p.m. A manhunt is underway after an attempted armed robbery in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley.

According to Berkeley Police Sgt. Andrew Frankel, at around Five:30 p.m. at least two suspects with a handgun attempted to rob a person sitting in a car in the two thousand eight hundred block of Piedmont Avenue (at Russell Street).

The suspects fled in a black sedan and then dumped the car in the five thousand six hundred block of Oak Grove in Rockridge, then fled on foot, Frankel told Berkeleyside.

At 8:30 p.m. both Oakland and Berkeley police were still conducting a block-by-block search in a “large area.”

Oakland police are leading the search and have not issued any alerts, such as a shelter-in-place advisory, about the incident yet.

Berkeleyside readers reported that for a brief period trains were not stopping at Rockridge BART station, and that parts of Claremont Avenue were blocked off, albeit this has not been confirmed. Around nine p.m. local residents reported that Claremont traffic was returning to normal, tho’ one person on Twitter said a side street, possibly Forest, was still closed.

The Numerology Coach posted to Twitter at 9:09 p.m: “OMG, I got caught in this traffic snafu at 6:30. Scary.” Also on Twitter at 9:15 p.m., Michael Bailey wrote: “Got caught up in this on the way home; walked past the Peep’s ditched car. Police with large guns everywhere. Not joy to walk through.”

Many in South Berkeley and North Oakland heard a helicopter overhead for well over an hour and contacted Berkeleyside to find out what was happening.

This is a developing story and was updated after publication.

An attempted armed robbery on Piedmont Avenue close to the corner with Russell Street led to a protracted hunt for a suspect on Tuesday Feb. 14. Photo: Google Maps

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“Redistribution of wealth”, “rich boy”, and “tax day” are your terms, not mine. I was explaining why strong arm robberies were evidently more common than they used to be, and explained it as if it was part of the business plan of the people committing the crimes. If it’s effortless and lucrative, they have no reason to stop, until they’re caught, which I hope they will be soon.

The crime in this story made no mention of any victims losing their teeth. Did this happen in one of the other robberies? No matter who it happened to, it must have been panicking and painful, and I’m sorry for it. I do agree with your conclusion, that most strong arm robberies seem to take place after dark.

Berkeley Citizen and PK (below) make some suggestions that are pretty close to ideas of mine.

I recall the days when BPD had eighteen patrol hammers, each with its own hammer officer. I reminisce the days when there were bike cops patrolling South Berkeley, the Elmwood, North Shattuck/Solano Ave., Univrtsity Ave., and 4th Street (not just Downtown and Telegraph Ave.)

Those were the days when BPD had 200+ officers.

Today, BPD’s authorized strength is one hundred seventy six officers. Seems like that number is simply not enough to address the crime issues Berkeley is now facing.

What are your ideas? There are no plain, effortless answers. PK’s idea was obviously meant to be sarcastic, but also highlights a perverse attitude. I think more walking and bicycling police would be a excellent begin, but not just in Elmwood. Problem is, salaries and benefits for Police are so high, they can’t be sustained under the current budgeting practices of the City. Structural switch must happen, to grease the wheels of switch on the ground, otherwise it’s a loosing battle. What can the community do? We can insist our City and elected officials take activity, but we can’t be passive either.

Community policing. Cops walking (or biking) around ALL neighborhoods of Berkeley is at least something and doesn’t profile anyone. We need to begin somewhere. Limit crime without losing our humanity.

It’s not racial profiling…it’s CRIMINAL profiling….so let’s DO IT !

Can ANYONE please suggest ANYTHING to help stop this crime wave. Our police are doing NOTHING and these crimes are going UP. We need to do something fresh or this will just get WORSE.

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