On March 21 , 2009 , Oakland parolee Lovelle Mixon , 26 , fatally shot four Oakland police officers , and wounded a fifth officer . At approximately 1:00 p.m. , Mixon shot and killed two officers during a routine traffic stop . Mixon fled the scene , hiding in his sister 's nearby apartment , and shortly after 3:00 p.m. , he killed two more officers as they responded . During the ensuing shootout , the police killed Mixon in self-defense and a fifth officer was wounded . Three of the officers killed were ranking sergeants , the first time the Oakland Police Department had lost a sergeant in the line of duty . It was the single deadliest day for sworn personnel in the department 's history , and also the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since the September 11 attacks
fatally shot four Oakland police officers
2009 shootings of Oakland police officers
History of Oakland, California