Tuan Le, a four-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, was fatally shot Friday while responding to a burglary in progress.
The officer's death has rocked the city and prompted an outpouring of support for his family and the Oakland Police Department.
"Oakland this loss cuts deep," Mayor Sheng Thao said. "Many of our officers are hurting right now and they're going to need our support. Our community is in shock. This senseless murder of a police officer, one of the guardians of our beautiful city, it will not stand. Oakland will work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to find those responsible for this assault on our city and the killing of our officer. We will work together to bring these perpetrators to justice."
Le, 36, was born in Vietnam. He later moved to Oakland and was naturalized on Sept. 11, 2001.
Officer Le graduated from the 183rd Police Academy on Feb. 21, 2020. Over the past two years he served as a community resource officer in West Oakland.
"His tireless efforts in fostering positive relationships made a lasting impact," police said in a statement. "Officer Le was a devoted husband to his wife. His passing leaves a void in the law enforcement community, the city of Oakland, and in the hearts of those who knew him. He will be remembered for his kindness, his smile, and the positive change he brought to the lives of those around him. He is a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer."
Le is the 54th Oakland police officer killed in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife.
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