A viral video is raising questions and concerns about how bad crime is getting in Oakland and how residents should respond to it.
The video shows a liquor store employee pulling a gun on a group of more than 100 people, after they say he mob tried to loot his store and assault him.
The incident happened at Golden Hours Liquor Store Saturday afternoon on International Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue.
This video, which was posted to multiple websites, showed a group of hundreds of bikers taking over the street in front of the store. Then, suddenly, one of the store employees pulled out a gun and people scatter.
Robert, the store employee who pulled his gun on the group, said this all happened after people in that crowd began punching him and one reached for his gun.
“I mean he yanked on my belt pretty hard and the firearm started to go down my pants. So, I pulled it out and backed him up, backed them all up," he said.
Robert told NBC Bay Area on Wednesday that he didn’t plan to hurt anyone. He added what you don’t see in the video is multiple people repeatedly attacking him, pulling out knives and attempting to steal from the store he works in.
Once the group started to leave, he said he was punched again and then heard gunfire.
“At the last minute and just bow, hit me right in the face and then I heard someone shooting up in the air and they took off then,” Robert said.
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Robert said he was detained and questioned by police. While the group made up of mostly kids and teens got away. He believes the group is part of an regular organized bike event involving people from other cities.
“I’d like to see the organizers of these events have a little more accountability. Lets be real, somebody put this together, somebody brought this here, right? and this is the result and from what I understand, this is a typical result,” he said.
Phillip Gums also saw the group move past his store, which has been shot at and vandalized in the past. He says crime is driving businesses like his out of Oakland.
“I’ve stopped all kinds of robberies from my friend's store here. It is unruly and people don’t come here anymore,” he said.
Councilmember Noel Gallo is calling for city cameras to be reactivated and a larger and more visible police presence.
“It’s complete insanity, disrespect for the city and we need more, definitely need the police to take action,” Oakland councilmember Noel Gallo.
Oakland police said they are investigating the gunfire but have not made any arrest.
