Berkeley Police Releases Account of Arrest of Burglary Suspect

The Berkeley Police Department released the following account of the arrest of a hot prowl burglary and barricaded suspect on the 1300 block of Parker Street this morning.

This morning, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at a few minutes before 7:00 a.m., a male resident/community member called to report a burglary in progress of his home in the 1300 block of Parker Street on the south side of the street. A male suspect had entered the basement area.

The male resident got a base ball bat for protection. When City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) patrol officers arrived, they saw the man with the bat in the street and a male suspect wielding a machete and a tree saw running away from the home. BPD officers challenged the suspect but he continued to flee on foot. The suspect continued alongside a home across the street (on the north side) of Parker Street, ran up some stairs to a detached rear unit. The suspect then broke a pane of glass in the door to the unit, dove inside and was barricaded with two potentially deadly weapons.

Officers created a safety perimeter to contain the scene which covered approximately four blocks, contacted the homeowner who lived in the house in front, who confirmed to them that the unit was vacant.

Some members of the Barricaded Subject Hostage Negotiation Team (BSHNT) were on duty, including negotiators, who began trying to begin a dialogue with the suspect. BPD leadership activated a BSHNT call out to manage the incident and work towards a peaceful resolution.

At approximately 10:20 a.m., the suspect, identified as Kamal Abdul Khalid, agreed to come out. He exited the unit holding the machete, dropped it after several officers’ commands and descended the stairs. When officers attempted to place him in handcuffs, he resisted physically, but was ultimately subdued.

City of Berkeley Fire Department (BFD) personnel who had been staged at the scene throughout, transported the suspect to a local ER for assessment and to be deemed “fit for incarceration.” No community members were injured during this incident. The suspect had some injuries, primarily cuts, likely from broken glass at the scene.

A couple officers were exposed to blood and sustained minor cuts during the incident. None were seriously injured.

The suspect will be booked (minimally) for 459 PC – Residential.

Sgt. Mary C. Kusmiss S-6
BPD Public Information Officer

Also see the story that Doug Oakley filed earlier this morning.