Authorities report a fatal conclusion to a standoff in Oakland when an armed man disregarded multiple directives to discard his weapons and rushed at the police officers.
Caught on intense footage were the moments before the demise of 43-year-old Jose Angel Castillo. The authorities say Castillo brandished two impromptu spears when first confronted by officers near a homeless encampment at the intersection of 40th Avenue and International Boulevard, KTVU reports.
The footage details officers in pursuit of Castillo, commanding him repeatedly to relinquish his weapons until shots rang out.
Oakland police bodycam recordings show Jose Angel Castillo wielding a sharp weapon during the altercation. (Oakland Police Department)
The tragic event took place shortly after 2 p.m. on July 13 when the Oakland Police Department (OPD) was called for backup by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), according to police reports.
Video of the ordeal begins with a request for backup as an officer reports being with a man armed with two knives and behaving aggressively. As police confront him, officers can be heard ordering him to drop multiple objects, including what one officer identifies as a hammer, offering an early glimpse at the array of weapons involved in the encounter.
“We’re out with the subject holding two knives, being aggressive,” an officer can be heard telling dispatch.
The footage then captures officers repeatedly ordering the man to drop what he is holding as the confrontation escalates.
Police bodycam video shows Jose Angel Castillo holding two weapons before his deadly encounter with Oakland officers. (Oakland Police Department)
“Drop that,” one officer says. “Drop that too.”
Moments later, an officer tells the man he is being detained and orders him to put the weapons down.
“You need to drop those right now. We’re the police, man,” the officer says.
As the encounter intensifies, an officer radios that they have a “subject holding two knives” while another can be heard shouting, “Drop the knife!”
Oakland police bodycam footage shows officers confronting Jose Angel Castillo during the July 13 encounter. (Oakland Police Department)
At one point, an officer announces that he has a Taser ready.
The man can later be heard repeatedly demanding, “What are you doing to me?” and asking, “What have I done?”
The standoff continues as officers again command the man to stop and drop the weapons.
“Stop right there,” an officer repeatedly yells. “Drop the knife.”
Another series of commands follows: “Drop the knives. Drop the knives!”
The man can be heard responding, “No! No! Leave me alone!”
The confrontation then erupts in gunfire. Immediately afterward, an officer radios, “Shots fired, shots fired!” as police order the man not to move.
OPD said officers encountered an armed individual and issued commands for him to comply.
Security camera video shows Oakland police during the deadly July 13 encounter with Jose Angel Castillo. (Oakland Police Department)
According to police, the man refused those commands and lunged at officers with a weapon. Officers responded with both less-lethal and lethal force, OPD said.
Castillo was struck by gunfire, and officers immediately attempted life-saving measures, but he died at the scene, according to police.
Police initially said multiple weapons were recovered following the deadly confrontation. The video appears to show the man carrying more than one weapon, with officers referring to two knives and a hammer during the encounter. Police later confirmed Castillo was armed with “bladed weapons” when officers encountered him.
No officers or bystanders were physically injured during the incident.
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The officers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with department policy, OPD said.
The shooting has also drawn scrutiny from civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, who monitors the Oakland Police Department and told KTVU he had concerns about aspects of the officers’ use of force.
“Did it justify deadly force? There are lots of people who are threats, the question is, does it – what kind of force is justified?” Chanin told the outlet.
The shooting has now triggered multiple investigations. OPD said it is conducting both criminal and administrative investigations into the officers’ use of force, while the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a separate independent investigation.
Oakland’s Community Police Review Agency has also been notified.
“The Department remains committed to transparency and will provide further updates as they become available and as appropriate under law,” OPD said.
Police said additional information is being withheld for now to protect the integrity of the investigation.
News Media reached out to OPD to ask whether the officers remain on leave, for a response to criticism of the shooting and for any additional context surrounding the encounter.