After Fatal CHP Pursuit Crash, Oakland Police Watchdog Says Systemic Changes Are Needed

One week after a high-speed California Highway Patrol chase led to a crash that killed a high school teacher in Oakland, the city’s Police Commission said systemic changes are needed to address how local police apprehend suspects.

“Revisions to the pursuit policy alone will not resolve the underlying issues that led to this heartbreaking loss,” the commission said in a statement on Monday afternoon signed by Chair Ricardo Garcia-Acosta. “Police pursuits are a complex, multifaceted problem requiring urgent, coordinated action across city leadership, public safety agencies, and community partners.”

The pursuit policy revisions proposed by Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell last month, a week before the fatal May 28 crash, would rescind a restriction on pursuits established under former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong in 2022. Under that restriction, officers who do not have a commander’s approval must end a police chase if the vehicles involved exceed 50 mph on city streets.

The CHP, however, is not required to follow OPD’s pursuit policy.

According to Mitchell, the policy is too restrictive, adding that it has resulted in fewer pursuits in cases where an officer has reason to believe a crime has been committed — a 47.7% decline from 2022 to 2024.

The Police Commission said in a statement that while it is still in the process of reviewing Mitchell’s proposal, it urges other city agencies, including OPD, the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and the Department of Violence Prevention, to also consider other public safety initiatives.

“This collaboration must include a thorough review of the pursuit policy’s alignment with broader public safety strategies, development of an enhanced community provider system of care, investments in technology and resources for safer apprehension methods, and clear public messaging that communicates a significant shift in our city’s approach,” the commission said.

Last week’s chase began after CHP officers saw Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia, 18, driving a vehicle that was wanted in association with a felony evading incident, according to the agency.

When officers attempted to stop the car in a parking lot near the intersection of 102nd Avenue and International Boulevard, they said, Hernandez-Garcia fled the scene. Officers pursued him for around 30 seconds before discontinuing their ground chase while CHP aircraft continued to monitor Hernandez-Garcia from above, CHP said.

At one point, Hernandez-Garcia pulled over and began to exit the vehicle. When law enforcement approached him, however, he re-entered the car and a second ground pursuit ensued, CHP said, adding that the driver crashed into a minivan near Park Boulevard a few seconds later. The people in the minivan suffered minor injuries, and the pursuit was called off.

A few seconds later, around 7:45 p.m., the driver crashed into a fire hydrant and two pedestrians at the intersection of East 21st Street and 12th Avenue, killing one of the people and injuring the other.

Marvin Boomer, a beloved math teacher and academic coach at Castlemont High School in Oakland, was pronounced dead at the scene while his girlfriend, who was walking with him, was taken to the hospital for her injuries.

Boomer, 40, “was a source of light, always stepping up to help others, lead with kindness, and bring people together,” a GoFundMe dedicated to Boomer said. “His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on his family and friends as well as the countless students, colleagues, and community members in his orbit.”

Hernandez-Garcia was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail on multiple felony charges, and CHP and the Oakland Police Department are investigating the incident. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said June 20 is his scheduled plea hearing.