4th person charged with murder in killing of Oakland police officer

A fourth person has been charged with murder in the killing of Oakland police officer Tuan Le.

Le, 36, was fatally shot Dec. 29 while responding to a burglary in progress at a cannabis dispensary near Jack London Square.

Sebron Russell, 28, was initially charged with three counts of burglary for his role that day, but the complaint was amended to include a murder charge, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Russell’s lawyers were not immediately reachable for comment.

Mark Sanders, Allen Brown and Marquise Cooper also face murder and burglary charges. The three pleaded not guilty in January in Alameda County Superior Court.

Russell has pleaded not guilty to the burglary charge and was released on $275,000 bail. The East Bay Times reported Russell had changed his stance and signed paperwork weeks ago pleading guilty to the lesser charges — all before learning about the added murder charge.

Russell is also now facing a charge of attempted murder related to Le’s partner, and a count of kidnapping to commit robbery related to a 2019 incident.

Russell and his co-defendants are scheduled to have their preliminary court hearing on Monday.

On the day of his death, Le along with other officers arrived at the allegedly burglarized business and saw several people running from the front door toward vehicles in the parking lot. As one car drove away, at least one shot was fired from it, striking Le, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of an unmarked police car. Prosecutors accused Sanders of firing the shot and Brown of driving the getaway vehicle.

Lawyers said Cooper was believed to be on lookout while the burglary unfolded.

Le was taken to Highland Hospital, where he died hours later.

Le graduated from the police academy in February 2020 and began as a community resource officer in West Oakland two years ago.