Oakland Police Shoot Armed Man After He Ignores Commands, Lunges With Weapons

Oakland police fatally shot a 43-year-old man on July 13 after he repeatedly refused to relinquish multiple weapons and advanced toward officers during a confrontation near 40th Avenue and International Boulevard. Jose Angel Castillo was armed with bladed weapons when California Highway Patrol requested assistance from the Oakland Police Department, prompting officers to respond to the scene near a homeless encampment shortly after 2 p.m.

Body camera footage released by authorities documents the encounter, showing officers trailing Castillo down the street while issuing continuous verbal commands to drop his weapons. Officers identified the man as carrying two knives and a hammer as the situation escalated, with repeated orders audible throughout the video telling him to relinquish the items.

During the standoff, Castillo questioned what officers were doing and what he had done wrong, while repeatedly refusing their directives to drop the weapons. After multiple commands went unheeded, Castillo lunged at officers with a weapon, prompting them to deploy both less-lethal and lethal force, according to police.

Castillo was struck by gunfire and died at the scene despite officers’ immediate life-saving efforts. No officers or bystanders sustained physical injuries during the incident, police said.

The officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave per department protocol. The Oakland Police Department is conducting criminal and administrative investigations, while the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office launched a separate independent inquiry. Oakland’s Community Police Review Agency was also notified.

Civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, who monitors the Oakland Police Department, raised questions about the justified use of deadly force during the encounter. The department has pledged transparency while withholding additional details to preserve investigative integrity.