Newark man shot in confrontation with police

An allegedly suicidal man who was fatally shot by a Newark police officer during a confrontation on Sunday afternoon was identified by the Alameda County coroner’s bureau Wednesday as 62-year-old Jeffry Graves of Newark.

Police said officers responded to a residence in the 36500 block of Bridgepointe Drive in Newark at 3:08 p.m. Sunday after a woman reported that a man, later identified as Graves, was depressed and was threatening to kill himself.

Officers safely evacuated the woman from the residence and found Graves inside holding a handgun to his head. Officers tried to negotiate with him without success for about 40 minutes, police said.

Graves eventually came out of the house and stood near the front door with the gun and repeatedly threatened to kill himself while officers tried to talk with him, according to police.

A crisis negotiator continued to try to resolve the situation but Graves refused to put down the gun, alternately holding it to his head, to his chest, or placing it in his mouth, police said.

After a 20-minute period, Graves put the gun down on the ground between his feet and the crisis negotiator thought the situation had de-escalated, but Graves refused to move away from the gun, continued to make suicidal threats, sat down beside the gun, picked it up and became more agitated and demonstrative with it, police said.

Graves stood back up while the negotiator continued to try to de-escalate the situation but he again threatened to kill himself and then pointed the gun at officers and nearby citizens, according to police.

An officer with 28 years of experience responded by firing his department-issued patrol rifle at Graves, striking him, police said.

Officers provided immediate medical treatment to Graves but he didn’t survive, according to police. Police initially said he was 52 years old but the coroner’s bureau later clarified he was 62.

No officers or neighboring residents were injured in the incident.

The name of the officer who shot Graves hasn’t been released. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard policy following an officer-involved shooting, police said.

Newark police detectives are investigating the shooting with the assistance of the Union City Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, while the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a separate investigation.

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