Since November 2015, there have been 16 shootings reported to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that have occurred on East Bay freeways in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties: 10 on Interstate 80, 2 on State Route 4, 2 on Interstate 580, 1 on Interstate 880, and 1 on SR-242.
Three of these shootings are being investigated as homicides. The CHP is the lead investigative agency in 13 of these shootings, two of which are homicides.
Without exception, these cases are gang related and are not random. Gang shootings are extremely difficult to investigate, as victims and witnesses are often uncooperative with law enforcement investigators.
The CHP investigations are being handled by the CHP’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in the Bay Area. The CHP Special Investigations Unit is working closely with the Contra Costa County / FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Richmond Police Department (RPD), and other allied agencies. This Task Force is made up of federal, state, county and local law enforcement officers from throughout Contra Costa County, and is co-managed by the District Attorney and the FBI.
In addition to following investigative leads, the CHP, RPD, and the Task Force began conducting regular strategic enforcement operations in March, which target known gang members and their criminal operations. These enforcement operations are specifically tailored to address the gangs involved in the shootings.
Every act of violence committed by these criminals puts the people of California at risk, and in the case of freeway shootings particularly endangers innocent motorists. By CHP, RPD, and the task force working together toward one common goal, we have had a strong impact on gang shootings and gang violence both on the freeways and streets in Richmond.
The enforcement operations will include in-view patrol, and parole and probation searches. Narcotics and explosives detection canines will be used to help locate drugs and guns; CHP aircraft will also assist.
These enforcement operations are in addition to increased patrol which the CHP has put in place on the I-80 corridor.
Since these operations began, 29 firearms and numerous pieces of evidence have been recovered which have both helped with ongoing investigations, and put gang members in jail where they can’t victimize the public. 77 individuals, the vast majority of which have gang ties, have been arrested for felony crimes associated with gang activity.
On April 2, CHP investigators arrested McCoy Tiasawn, a gang member from Contra Costa County, for attempted murder related to one of the freeway shootings, which occurred on April 1, on SR-4 in Pittsburg. He is being held in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez and was charged on April 6. His bail has been set at $1.3 million dollars.
We want to assure the public that although we know these shootings are not random, this fact does not eliminate their concerns. We have made the investigation of these crimes a top priority and are working diligently to apprehend the suspects.
We encourage anyone with any information on these shootings, no matter how small or insignificant that information may seem, to call the CHP’s Special Investigations Unit at (510) 622-4609.
