Full Notification

On February 24, 2018, at 6:16pm, an alert community member called BPD Dispatch to report having seen a man with a gun in line at a restaurant on the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue in Downtown Berkeley.  The reporting party described the subject as a Hispanic male, 20's, with neck and hand tattoos, wearing a black hoodie and black jeans.  The reporting party further related that he saw the pistol in the suspect’s back pocket. 

Two Officers and a Supervisor arrived on scene minutes later and located a similarly described subject standing inside the business at the counter.  The subject was detained in handcuffs without incident.  During the detention officers could see a pistol in his rear pants pocket.  Once safely in handcuffs they recovered a loaded, semi-automatic 9mm handgun.  The suspect (identified as Ernest Ochoa-Tavares 26, of Oakland) was booked into the BPD jail for carrying a loaded firearm in public and for carrying a concealed firearm (both misdemeanors).

We appreciate the ongoing support as partnerships like this are often critical to helping us keep the community safe.