Man Shot by Berkeley Police in Castro Valley Detained for Drug Charges
Steven Oliver Moore of Pittsburg was the subject of a narcotics investigation, according to police. Moore, 48, allegedly rammed his vehicle into a Berkeley police officer in Castro Valley Wednesday.
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The man shot by Berkeley police after he pinned an officer between his own car and a police vehicle has been identified as 48-year-old Steven Oliver Moore and the subject of a narcotics investigation, according to Berkeley police.
Police said Moore was on parole for federal drug and weapons charges at the time of his arrest, Berkeleyside reports. He is now being detained on new narcotics charges after Police found half a pound of cocaine in Moore's possession and at a nearby house in Castro Valley with which he was connected.
Moore was taken to Eden Medical Center to be treated and is in critical but stable condition, police said. The Berkeley police officer, who has yet to be identified, was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland for leg and hand injuries and was released Wednesday night.
Moore is the member of a former South Berkeley family whose Oregon Street house was the site of numerous drug-related arrests, reported Berkeleyside Thursday afternoon. Moore also has a record of drug-related offenses, according to court documents.
The shooting occurred Wednesday at around 5 p.m. near Center Street and Grove Way in Castro Valley, Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.
Two undercover police officers from the Berkeley Police Department were attempting a traffic stop to take Moore into custody when the suspect backed his car into one of the officers, pinning him against the police vehicle. The officer's partner opened fire, shooting Moore — who was sitting in the driver's seat — in the chest.
The Berkeley police officer who shot Moore has been placed on paid administrative leave per the department's policy, according to police. An investigation will be conducted by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
Berkeley police held a police conference Thursday afternoon. Patch will provide more information as it becomes available. Click "keep me posted" below for updates.
renni rhome
6:49 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I like how the women interview on the TV news was like "he probably didn't know it was the police and didn't know why he was being stopped" and how "the police wont let them see him in the hospital". First of all, with his record he damn well knew he was being pulled over and secondly, he is under arrest in the hospital, so NO you dont get to visit him. I really did not like the way the tv media was portraying HIM as the good guy! Thank you for the upfate.
David Ross
6:51 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Is "common sense" something not taught to cops today? Why try a traffic stop at one of the busiest intersections in Castro Valley at the very busy afternoon commute time? It makes NO sense to me whatsoever.
In the name of news, is there any reason why at least 4 helicopters needed to hover of the site (mainly, over my apartment) for over an hour?
Analisa Harangozo
7:07 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
With as much traffic as there was yesterday, flying overhead seemed to be the best way to get a shot of what was happening before the news vans arrived. The photographer and I were just minutes away from the scene when it happened so we were lucky enough to get there before traffic got really bad.
David Ross
7:40 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
It just seems to get silly to have all of those helicopters overhead shooting what is basically a non-changing seen. You'd think with the expense of operating a helicopter they'd have a "pool" helicopter among the stations to reduce expenses. They won't, though, for competitive reasons.
A friend of my commutes every day along Grove. She was lucky - she gets off work early on Wednesdays so she wasn't trapped.
Ken Martin
7:05 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
"Common sense" would dictate that the police take acton as the opportunity presents itself for YOUR protection. That is their job. Your criticism makes no sense.
David Ross
7:20 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Stopping at a busy intersection would have allowed the guy to grab a hostage from any nearby stopped car.
The cop wasn't too smart walking between his car and the suspect's.
Another article I read said the suspect had a residence in Castro Valley. Evidently it appears he was heading to that residence. Why couldn't the cops just wait until he got his house? The cops were undercover. If they were doing it right then the suspect wouldn't have known that the cops were behind me.
For those out there who are "green:" Just think of how much oil was wasted and how much pollution (both noise and air) was produced from idling cars and hovering helicopters because these cops, one of the very gun happy, made a stop in an in appropriate place.
Ken Martin
7:05 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
"Common sense" would dictate that the police take acton as the opportunity presents itself for YOUR protection. That is their job. Your criticism makes no sense.
Ken Martin
7:25 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I'm sure that, if we had more people with "common sense" like you on our police force, crime would be totally eliminated. Everyone, including you, seems to forget that the police are not in a football game where they go into a huddle to figure out their strategy and their next move. They have to REACT to the situation as events present themselves - when and where they happen even if, in your opinion, it is not the best location. Frequently situations are thrust upon the officers where they have to make split second decisions. And generally they are at a disadvantage because the perpetrator knows what he is going to do and the police have to compensate for the perp's actions. Don't be so quick to criticize the police until you've been in their situation.
David Ross
7:51 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Ken, you have to admit that getting between two cars is not the best way to approach the suspect. Common sense would say that the guy may (in this case, will) back up.
KGO reports "Berkeley police are not commenting on why they stopped the car at the intersection or why the officer was standing between the vehicles. " To me, this sounds like a cover-up of procedures not being followed.
Another thing: Why has there been so many shootings of civilians by cops in the past couple of years?
It appears that both cops were out of the car because Moore was shot in the chest.
Ken Martin
10:42 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
This was not a choreographed event. You make it sound like everything was planned and the police had much time to think things out. Unless this an anomally for this type of situation, things happen very rapidly and the people involved just end up where circumstances put them. Certainly the officers were out of the car. How else would one of them be caught between the cars?
As for the shooting of civilians, could it be that more goofy civilians are stupidly placing themselves in positions of jeopardy? It has become very evident that our society is not becoming more intelligent.
And I am getting a little tired of hearing about police not following "procedures". What "procedures" are the criminals following? Procedures are only useful until things get out of hand, as they often do. Then the officers have to think in fractions of a second. Unfortunately, the criminals didn't go to the police academy so they can match their actions to fit the "procedures". I am getting equally tired of the criticism of the police response to what are usually chaotic situatiojns by people that only know what they read in the news media!!
David Ross
6:33 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
The procedure I was talking about was for the cop's safety. Something like "hey, don't be stupid - don't stand between two vehicles when one of them is the suspects. He might back up and pin you."
So it's okay for cops to do whatever they please because criminals don't follow procedures?
Ken Martin
7:36 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
I'm glad you were there to see all this, David. Was the officer standing between the cars or moving to position himself to better do whatever was required to do his duty effectively? And nowhere did I advocate the cops doing "whatever they please"! It's just that textbook procedures don't always fit the situation and the officers have to be allowed to do what is necessary to get things under control.
And why all this criticism of the police? You should be glad that they worked their way through a dangerous situation and took a potentially dangerous lawbreaker off the streets. I really don't understand the fuzzy thinking that condemns the police for their actions when they have to handle situations that are frequently totally out of hand when they arrive. If there wasn't a problem, they wouldn't have to be there in the first place and possibly put their lives on the line to protect people that show no appreciation for their dangerous job!!! I think you need to "walk a mile in their shoes", David!
David Ross
8:30 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Many cops - not most but a good percentage - of cops I've run up against are the most arrogant people I've known. (No, I have not been arrested in my lifetime and the last ticket I got was over 3 years ago for a minor - and stupid - reason.)
Cops are also part of the so-called justice system. And the justice system, my friend, is very dysfunctional in today's world.
I hate the fact that if one of my loved one was to die I could not close down freeways for a funeral processions likes cops do. I resent the fact that if I wanted to raise money for a good cause I could have a group collecting it in them middle of Castro Valley Boulevard because it would be a safety hazard yet the Sheriff's department does it all the time.
No, I wasn't there. But, Ken, my main point is what the hell was the cop doing behind the car? Anyone with even an inkling of common sense should realize that's probably not a good place to be.
Mitchell Lehrman
9:57 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
OK Patch: Several things here....
The officer made a common sense mistake getting between two cars, I'm sorry he was injured. He DID NOT stay cool under fire and could have endangered others by his actions. The Berkley officers needed to call for back up especially while not on there home turf. I think police sometimes have a hard time differentiating between a traffic offender and a dangerous criminal and that needs to be worked on too.
The man that backed into the officer absolutely knew what he was doing. He was submerged in "the life" and did not make a mistake by putting that red Sable in reverse and depressing the accelerator pedal. I'm thinking it could have been a payback to the police and the world in general.
The media did a FANTASTIC job turning this into a dog and pony show drama and by portraying this guy Oliver as possibly a decent guy they out classed themselves, again. If any group of people can objectify anything it is the media. I don't watch the news because objectifying is creepy.
Ken Martin
4:52 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Aha!! Now I understand it all. Mitchell and David weren't at the scene but know exactly what went on and how the cops screwed up! According to them, the stupid officer that was injured must have just strolled between the cars and waited for Moore to back into them! Also, the media was messed up, too. How do you guys live with yourselves with all this vitriol in you system?
Your last comments really clear things up. They are obviously the result of ignorance and bias. - ignorance of what went on because you WERE NOT there and bias based on obvious prejudice against the very people that are appointed to protect you. This ignorance and bias shows a total lack of common sense on your collective parts. It has to be appalling to anyone with a sense of any kind of fairness which neither of you have. Because of this you have diminished the value of your opinions almost to a negative factor!!
I don't always support the police but I try to be fair. When I wrote "CV Sidetrips" for the Castro Valley Forum, I both praised and criticized the CHP and ACSO. You can read what I wrote at www.cvsidetrips.com.
AS for me, I've grown tired of engaging in a battle of wits with unarmed men!! I hope that sometime in the future you need one of the officers that you so badly malign to save your sorry butts. Mitchell, you are particularly disgusting with your talk of "payback" to the police.
You two can ramble on to infinity. I have real people to associate with. Sayonara!!
David Ross
5:02 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
In the same vain, not being there and supporting the cops is just as bad as not being there and saying they had no common sense.
Ken Martin
9:55 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
That's "vein". Negativity is always worse.
Kimi Doyle
11:15 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012
David I'm with you on this all the way!!!!
JuliannaSmith
4:46 am on Monday, February 27, 2012
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