A man in his 40s was shot on Seventh Street, near Allston Way, in West Berkeley on Friday night, authorities report.
Update: Scroll down for a response from West Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin
Police received multiple reports of possible gunfire just before 7:10 p.m. and quickly responded to the area, said Lt. Chris Bonaventure of the Berkeley Police Department.
Bonaventure said police arrived and found a man lying in the street. Officers performed life-saving measures until the Berkeley Fire Department arrived.
Authorities said it remained unclear as of Friday night whether the man would survive.
One local resident told Berkeleyside that, as of 7:25 p.m., the area was blocked off and they had seen an ambulance leave the area with a police escort. According to radio reports reviewed by Berkeleyside, the ambulance went to Highland Hospital, the regional trauma center, in Oakland.
The resident said nine police cruisers had arrived at the scene within minutes of the shooting, with more first responders to follow.
West Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin, who has made public safety one of his top priorities by putting forward numerous council items focused on addressing gun violence through programs like Ceasefire, banning untraceable “ghost guns,” and getting better tools for Berkeley police, such as automated license plate readers and more security cameras, responded strongly to Friday night’s shooting.
“Tonight underpins the urgency of the city and council taking swift and decisive action to hold bad actors accountable and stemming the tide of violence. Virtue signaling and feel-good measures are not enough,” Taplin said. “People need to see the city taking bold actions to fight crime.”
Taplin continued: “The news of yet another shooting falls heavily on me as council is slated for a week of public safety-related meetings,” he said.
This coming week, the City Council is scheduled to hear not only the annual crime report on Tuesday but also multiple reports, on Thursday, that represent the culmination of more than a year of work focused on how Berkeley might reimagine policing in the community.
On Thursday morning, council members are scheduled to hear a new report about police overtime — which may be contributing to officer burnout and staff turnover. And, on Monday, Taplin has a proposal before council’s Public Safety policy committee to launch a new “problem-oriented flex team” that would use a community policing model to address crime.
“Enough is enough,” Taplin said. “Public safety needs to be a top priority for the city and council.”
Berkeley has had six other shootings this year, two of which left people wounded.
Berkeleyside will update this story if more information becomes available.
This story was updated shortly after publication with a statement from Councilmember Terry Taplin and additional information from police. Featured photo: Kelly Sullivan
