The killings rank among the deadliest attacks on law enforcement in California history.
Police identified the deceased victims as motorcycle Officer Sgt. Dunakin had been with the Oakland Police Department since 1991, while Romans had been there since 1996, Hege since 1999, and Sakai since 2000.
A fifth unnamed officer was grazed in the head by one of Mixon's bullets; he was treated and released.
Police identified Oakland resident Lovelle Mixon, 26, as the killer.
Mixon was wanted on a no-bail arrest warrant for violating parole on a previous assault with a deadly weapon conviction, stemming from an armed robbery in San Francisco. Mixon had an extensive criminal history and wielded two different weapons, including an assault rifle, during his assaults on the Oakland police officers.
The rampage began at 1:08 p.m.
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During the stop, Mixon stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire without warning, striking the two officers in their heads. Dunakin died at the scene, and Officer Hege was pronounced dead the next day.
Mixon fled the scene on foot into a nearby neighborhood, leading to an intense manhunt by some 200 officers from the Oakland Police Department, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, the BART Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
Nearby streets were roped off, and an entire area of east Oakland was closed to traffic.
At about 3:20 p.m. police received an anonymous tip that Mixon had taken refuge inside an apartment building in the 2700 block of 74th Avenue, one-tenth of a mile from the initial traffic stop.
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Officers first attempted to negotiate with Mixon, and when that failed a SWAT team was sent into the apartment to apprehend him. As the SWAT team entered a bedroom in a clear and search operation, Mixon opened fire without warning through the wall and door of the closet where he was hiding.
Sakai, were killed before another officer could return fire, killing Mixon.
On March 22, 2009, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered flags at the state capitol flown at half-staff in honor of the slain officers.
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