By Bay City News Service
A burger restaurant in Castro Valley that was closed after a fatal officer-involved shooting late Friday night reopened today, a restaurant spokeswoman said.
Boulevard Burger at 3714 Castro Valley Blvd. closed its doors for more than two days following the shooting shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, which claimed the life of a robbery suspect. Alameda County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said the incident began when a masked gunman, who was dressed all in black and was carrying a .357 revolver, entered the restaurant about an hour after it had closed for the night, took a female employee at gunpoint and demanded cash.
At the same time, two male employees who were outside putting away patio furniture for the night noticed two sheriff's deputies who were conducting an unrelated traffic stop nearby, Nelson said.
When the male workers walked back inside the restaurant they were confronted by the suspect, who ordered them to open the safe but they were unable to do so because they don't have access to the safe, according to Nelson. The male employees then grabbed and held the suspect and told the female worker to ask the deputies to respond, Nelson said.
The suspect faced the deputies and one of the male employees grabbed the suspect's arm, causing his revolver to fire one round, according to Nelson. One of the deputies then fired multiple rounds at the suspect, striking him multiple times and killing him, Nelson said.
The suspect hasn't yet been identified but authorities hope to identify him later today or on Tuesday, Nelson said. No one else was shot in the gunfire, according to Nelson. The employee who grabbed the suspect's arm suffered a minor powder burn from the errant shot by the suspect, Nelson said. The employees who grabbed the gunman acted "heroically," Nelson said.
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