OAKLAND, CA — Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announces charges against three men accused of the December 29, 2023 shooting death of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le.
The prosecution charged 27-year-old Mark Demetrious Sanders with murder, including special circumstances allegations that could result in a possible sentence of life without the possibility of parole if convicted of all charges and allegations.
A second defendant, 28-year-old Allen Starr Brown was also charged with murder. The third defendant, 28-year-old Sebron Ray Russell was charged with burglary. All three defendants face multiple charges in addition to these serious allegations.
The DA’s office believes the evidence will show that Officer Tuan Le was shot to death while responding to a commercial burglary in the area of Embarcadero and 5th Avenue.
District Attorney Pamela Price released this statement, “today I spoke with the family of Tuan Le. I offered my sincere condolences as they continue to grieve the tragic loss of their loved one. I informed the family of the charges against the men accused of murdering Tuan Le, and I assured them that my office will do everything within the confines of our legal power to make sure the man accused of shooting Tuan Le will serve the rest of his life in prison. We join law enforcement and people across the region in expressing our heartbreak and outrage over this horrific crime. My office will continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads to hold these men accountable for their outrageous behavior. Speaking as the elected District Attorney of Alameda County, I will leverage the full weight of my office against these people who we believe ruthlessly and wantonly murdered an officer who gave his life to protect our community against those who would do harm to all of us.”
Oakland Police Department announced several arrests on January 2, 2024:
The dedicated officers of the Oakland Police Department (OPD) have made several arrests in the tragic loss of our colleague and friend, Officer Tuan Le, including one suspect within the last 12 hours. Our officers continue to work tirelessly to bring justice to the Le family. We are all devastated by this senseless act of violence, and our hearts continue to mourn his passing.
In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, OPD has made significant progress in the investigation, resulting in several additional arrests over the weekend.
This is just the beginning of a lengthy legal process; we are hopeful that it will start the healing for Officer Le’s grieving family and our entire OPD family. We are committed to keeping you all informed throughout the investigation.
We appreciate the support of our officers assigned to the Violent Crime Operations Center (VCOC), Ceasefire, Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and OPD’s Communications Division.
We extend our gratitude to the collaborative efforts of outside agencies, including the San Francisco Police Department, Livermore Police Department, Vallejo Police Department, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California Attorney General’s Office, California Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Marshals.
This is an ongoing investigation, and we assure that our collective efforts will not stop until all those responsible for this tragedy are brought to justice. We understand the impact Officer Le’s loss has had on his family, OPD, and the community.
Photo by Oakland Police
Oakland Police Announced the Death of officer Tuan Le on Dec 29, 2023
In Loving Memory of Officer Tuan Le
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Officer Tuan Le, a dedicated public servant, loving husband, and a cherished member of the Oakland community. Officer Le was killed in the line of duty today, December 29, 2023, at 8:44 a.m. Officer Le was surrounded by his wife, mother, and members of his OPD family when he died.
On June 1, 1987, Officer Le was born in Saigon Vietnam, before later moving to Oakland and being naturalized on September 11, 2001.
On February 21, 2020, Officer Le graduated from the 183rd Police Academy, beginning a journey of public service to his community that lasted nearly four years.
For the past two years, Officer Le served as the Community Resource Officer (CRO) in West Oakland, where he devoted himself to strengthening the bond between law enforcement and the residents of Oakland. His tireless efforts in fostering positive relationships made a lasting impact.
Officer Le was a devoted husband to his wife. His passing leaves a void in the law enforcement community, the city of Oakland, and in the hearts of those who knew him. He will be remembered for his kindness, his smile, and the positive change he brought to the lives of those around him. He is a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer.
Officer Le is the 54th Oakland Police Officer killed in the line of duty serving the residents of Oakland.
For Immediate Release: December 29, 2023
OPD NEWS: Oakland Police Officer Fatally Wounded by Gunfire
Early this morning, December 29, 2023, just before 1:00AM, Oakland Police Officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Embarcadero to investigate reports of an in-progress burglary. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers who were conducting burglary suppression responded to the scene.
When officers arrived, they located evidence of a burglary at a business. The individual(s) responsible fled the area before officers arrived.
Shortly after, 4:30 AM, OPD Communications received a second report of an in-progress burglary at the previous location in the 400 block of Embarcadero.
As officers were arriving, they observed multiple individuals exiting the business. As the individual(s) fled, they began shooting at plain-clothed officers. One officer was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators from the Homicide Section responded to the scene to take over the investigation.
During the preliminary investigation, officers located multiple casings at the scene.
However, we’ve learned no officers discharged their firearm.
OPD’s and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Teams responded to the scene to investigate the incident.
This is an active and ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821 or the TIP LINE at (510) 238-7950.
The Oakland Police Department would like to thank the following law enforcement agencies for their support and assistance during today’s critical incident: California Highway Patrol (CHP), Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Oakland Fire Department (OFD), Falck Ambulance, and the staff at Alameda County Highland Hospital.
