Cops shoot hatchet, shotgun-wielding bicyclist

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, March 29, 2010

(03-28) 08:41 PDT OAKLAND -- A young man riding a bicycle and carrying a shotgun and a hatchet was shot and wounded by Oakland police officers after he opened fire at several patrol cruisers parked near the city's police headquarters, authorities said.

Nathaniel Reddick, a 25-year-old man from Sacramento, was shot at the Oakland police transportation section on the 400 block of Sixth Street about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, said Officer Jeff Thomason, a department spokesman.

Reddick was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland with wounds that were not considered life-threatening. Thomason said it was unclear why he rode up, damaged at least six police cars with gunfire and threw a hatchet at a vehicle.

An Oakland police sergeant confronted Reddick and fired several shots at him when he brandished the shotgun, police said. The suspect was not hit.

Moments later, police said, a lieutenant came on the scene and tried to negotiate with Reddick, who refused to back down. The lieutenant fired one shot, wounding the suspect, who was then taken into custody.

The names of the sergeant and lieutenant were not released. They were placed on routine paid leave pending investigations by the Oakland police department's homicide and internal affairs units as well as Alameda County prosecutors.

The incident comes a little more than a year after four Oakland officers were shot and killed by Lovelle Mixon, who was himself shot dead by officers.

From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/29/BA9I1CMJHI.DTL