Outed undercover officer draws gun, points it at demonstrators during Oakland protest


After his partner was knocked to the ground, a plainclothes California Highway Patrol officer pulled his gun on demonstrators taking part in a protest against police brutality Wednesday night in Oakland, California.
Avery Browne, chief of the CHP's Golden Gate Division, said that before the officers were outed, they gathered enough information to stop four freeway shutdown attempts. Browne also said that undercover officers have participated in all of the marches since the first on Nov. 24, and will continue to do so.
Freelance photographer Michael Short told the San Francisco Chronicle the trouble started when the crowd began to yell that the men were undercover cops. Someone grabbed the hat off on one officer, and then another man ran up and knocked him down; at this point the other officer pulled out his gun. Browne said the unnamed officer followed department policy by showing his badge and declaring that he was law enforcement, and added that he told him he "didn't know if I was going to make it out of this thing alive."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The protester accused of punching the officer was booked into county jail on suspicion of felony assault on a peace officer. Browne said he understood how "it's disturbing, every time a firearm is drawn, whether in a protest situation or in a felonious car stop, but we need to understand that these officers were under attack."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Trump may team with a tech company to create a database of Americans
In the Spotlight A recent report indicated that Trump is partnering with the tech company Palantir
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strike
speed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read