Gunman at marijuana site fires at police, still at large

OAKLAND >> Two police officers responding to a robbery early Monday at an East Oakland marijuana grow site were shot at by a suspect but were not injured, authorities said.

The gunman and other suspects fled, but another man who had a bag of marijuana taken from the site was arrested on suspicion of burglary, authorities said.

The shooting happened about 2:54 a.m. Monday in the 8100 block of MacArthur Boulevard. Police said at least 10 people who came to the area in several cars broke into a building that had been converted into an apparently unpermitted cannabis growing operation.

As the thieves were fleeing, two Oakland police officers were pulling up in a marked patrol car. One of the suspects fired shots at them, striking their vehicle at least twice but not wounding any officers. The officers did not return fire.

Police don’t know exactly how much marijuana was taken, as no one claiming ownership of the building showed up to talk to officers, authorities said.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the shooter and any other suspects involved. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at 510-7778572.

Robbers also targeted other Oakland businesses overnight, including at least two other marijuana businesses, one on Frederick Street in East Oakland where a security guard was shot at and another in the 2400 block of Telegraph Avenue, a drug store on High Street in East Oakland and some other businesses. All of the cases are under investigation and it was not immediately known what, if anything, was taken by the suspects.

Between Saturday night and early Sunday several other marijuana-related businesses were targeted in different parts of Oakland, including one in the 300 block of Pendleton Way where a suspect was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with security guards.

Authorities have said some of the thefts are related, but whether they are all being committed by the same groups of people remains under investigation.