Pittsburg Officer Shot by Man Who Brought Gun Into Police Station
Pittsburg police have arrested a 31-year-old man with a previous manslaughter conviction in connection with the shooting of a Pittsburg police officer during an altercation in the city’s police headquarters Thursday night.
Michael Arthur-Sanchez Martin is accused of sneaking a gun into the police headquarters, where he was being booked for a previous illegal gun-possession charge, and shooting an officer. Both the officer, who has not been publicly identified, and Martin, who was also struck by gunfire, were transported to a local hospital for treatment and are expected to survive. Martin has since been booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.
Pittsburg police said that they arrested Martin on Thursday and transported him to the police department, where “a physical altercation between the suspect and a solo officer occurred.” Martin was charged last year with possessing a firearm as a felon, along with other gun-related felonies, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office records show.
Martin also has a previous voluntary manslaughter conviction for shooting 23-year-old Antioch resident Jesse Hernandez in 2014. According to reports from the time, Martin was allegedly part of an East Contra Costa subset of the Norteños gang.
The shooting was the first of two involving a law enforcement officer in Contra Costa County within a few hours Thursday evening. Shortly before 7 p.m., an officer was shot while responding to a mental health crisis call in Richmond.
That officer was released from the hospital Friday, according to police.
Pittsburg police said that both the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and Pittsburg Police Investigations Division are investigating the incident. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that it was reviewing Martin’s case for a charging decision.
“This is an upsetting moment for our community,” Mayor Dionne Adams said in a statement. “As a lifelong Pittsburg resident, I have seen firsthand the progress our Police Department has made through community-centered policing and strengthening relationships with those they serve. Violence like this is deeply troubling and has no place in our community.”