Oakland Police Kill Undercover Officer

An undercover police officer was shot and killed by two uniformed officers late Thursday night while arresting a suspected car thief.

At a somber news conference, Lt. Paul Berlin of the Oakland Police Department said Officer William Wilkins, 29, was on a drug stakeout and was not in uniform when he spotted a stolen car speeding by.

Berlin said Wilkins caught the alleged car thief near the San Leandro border with Oakland. Wilkins was holding the suspect at gunpoint in a driveway when the two officers arrived.

At least one officer opened fire, and Wilkins was hit several times in the upper torso, Berlin said. He added that 11 shell casings were found at the scene. Berlin did not know if Wilkins returned fire.

A resident of the house next to the driveway where the shooting occurred told Associated Press she had seen at least eight officers at the scene just seconds after the shots were fired--apparently before police realized they had shot a fellow officer.

Kim Davis woke up after the shots and ran immediately to the door. She said Wilkins was wearing jeans, a shirt, a jacket and a beanie cap.

Officers attempted to revive him, but Wilkins died at Highland Hospital at 2:20 a.m. Friday.

Berlin said the two officers--both in their early 20s--have been on the force for less than a year.

Berlin said it was unclear how Wilkins knew the car had been stolen, or why the two officers were apparently unaware that an undercover officer was responding to the car theft. Investigators are checking radio tapes, he said.

The alleged car thief is in custody, Berlin said.

Wilkins, who had been on the Oakland Police force for seven years, leaves a wife and a 10-month-old son.

“Our sympathy goes out to the family,” said Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown. “This is the kind of tragedy we hope never happens.”