Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Death at Top Dog

(Amazingly, it wasn’t from the kielbasa)

 

Man shot dead near UC Berkeley

Oakland Tribune

BERKELEY — Two men were shot, one fatally, late Tuesday near the popular Top Dog eatery on Durant Avenue and Bowditch Street, about a block from the UC Berkeley campus, police said.  The victim was identified as Maceo Smith, 33, of Berkeley, the father of three boys, said his father, who was at the crime scene but refused to give his name. Although the shooting happened just a block from the campus, police said Smith was not a student there.

Berkeley police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said the victim and the shooter had an argument before the shooting. The victim staggered to the multi-unit apartment building parking lot east of the Top Dog and collapsed, police said. Further details were not released late Tuesday.  Police said the second victim, a relative of the man who died, drove himself to Highland Hospital in Oakland. His condition was not life-threatening.  The suspect was still at-large Tuesday evening.   Tuesday's shooting was the second slaying in the past 10 days near the UC Berkeley campus.

Tuesday's shooting happened about 4 p.m. in an area that is heavily travelled by residents and students.

Marty Keith, a former UC Berkeley student who lives in the Cal rowing team house at 2316 Bowditch St., said he heard a quick succession of gunshots from his home. He looked out the window and saw the victim stagger across Bowditch Street and down Durant Avenue into the parking lot.  He said he saw blood on the victim's back as the man opened a door of a blue Honda and collapsed inside. Keith said he and at least two other men rushed to his aid and opened the door of the car.  He said the man was still breathing at that point.  Keith said he pulled the victim out of the car and "that was it." Berkeley paramedics arrived on the scene and tried to revive the victim for about 30 minutes, said Keith, who was still visibly shaken.  "We live right here. The bullets could have entered our room," he said.  The victim's father said he didn't know why his son was at the Berkeley location where he was shot.  With family and friends arriving on the scene and embracing one another, the father said he wanted to view his dead son, who was covered with a white sheet.  "If it was your child who got shot, you at least would want to see him," the father said. One woman who appeared to be a family member yelled, "Is this Oakland or is this Berkeley?" referring to the high homicide rate in the neighboring city. Oakland has had 50 killings so far this year. Tuesday's shooting was the fifth homicide in Berkeley this year.  About a dozen family members and friends of the victim gathered at the scene and grew visibly agitated at Berkeley police because they said investigators refused to immediately provide the family with details.  As detectives collected evidence, police cordoned off Durant, east of Bowditch to Telegraph Avenue, and the block between Durant Avenue and Channing Way.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Maceo was actually taking his wife and brother in law to get someting to eat. They are from Berkeley. Maceo was not just a loving father, he worked for Oakland Parks and Rec, as well as volunteered as a football coach, basketball coach and recently has been coaching baseball; all little league. Please note that this was a beautiful person, who enjoyed his time on earth caring for young boys in the community. When my own husband was sick, Maceo would go out of his way to pick my child up from school in El Cerrito, bring him to Berkeley or Oakland, where my son had Football or baseball practice.

Anonymous said...

I concur. Too often, fatally shot black men are seen as "deserving victims." I happened to be at top dog shortly after this happened. I vaguely remember Macio form Berkeley High School in the 1990's. May God bless him and his family.

Anonymous said...

It is a shame that my brother had to die behind two cowards...One being a person who couldn't handle a situation on his own and one who felt that a gun could solve a problem. Tiwonnia you have your story confused.....It's apparent you must be related to his wife you know the saying you can't turn a $oe into a house wife who couldn't let my brother rest before going out a finding another person to share her bed... 4 months come on....if you were any type of friend or family you could of told her to carry herself better and keep herself under for herself respect for as well as my brother's children....
they are already messed up with losing thier father and then having to deal with another man.....I will say whatever goes on in the dark will soon come to light....best believe that

his wife said...

itch please know what you are talkin bout,did he even talk to you?????? if you have any problems why smile in my face like it's a good run up or shut up.

The Son said...

niggas got major issues it seem cus unless you talked to his children u cant make your own assumption abt the matter i as the oldest son think my mom should do what ever she feels is right in the time of grieving shes never been alone at all in her life so she need s a man help to feel like her husband is still there and to help take care of us because last time i checked nobody has been in my life after ma dads death was her so while ur talkin who ever you are just dnt put up a facade acting like its all cool in our family and post sum dumb shit like that noe where u stand in my fams life and if u really feel the way u do then dnt fuck wit us at all cus we dnt need ur shitt talkin stressing us out when the most affected by the matter is us so suck up ur feelings and shove it right up ur ass !