Latest news with #CDCR
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Community mourns loss of parole agent with Sacramento ties
A beloved parole agent with strong ties to Sacramento is being remembered not only for his dedication to public service but also for the profound impact he had both through his work and through the game he loved. Joshua Byrd, a 39-year-old veteran with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, was shot and killed in the line of duty Thursday inside a state parole office in East Oakland. The former Navy servicemember had spent more than a decade working as a correctional officer before becoming a parole agent last year. But in Sacramento, Byrd's legacy stretched far beyond his day job. "He had the biggest smile, the greatest team player you can ask for," said Cary Trzcinski, director of the Pig Bowl, a long-running charity football game featuring local first responders. "He was just an overall great person, great guy to have on our team." Byrd played on the offensive line, a role Trzcinski said fit his quiet leadership style. "Josh was one of the anchors of the team," he said. "Not only on the field, but in the locker room, at practice, and during the community events he took part in. He just kept us all together." For more than 50 years, the Pig Bowl has brought first responders together to raise money for local causes. For those in that close-knit community, Byrd's death hits especially hard. "It hurts even more when one of those officers is one of your brothers," Trzcinski said. "He was family to us. So it hurts because he was one of us." Byrd leaves behind a wife and three children. An online fundraiser has been set up to support his family in the wake of the tragedy. As the investigation continues, friends and fellow first responders say Byrd's life spoke volumes about the kind of man he was, a selfless servant who lifted others around him. "Everything he did was for someone else," Trzcinski said. "He didn't do things to glorify himself or to get credit. He was there for people. He was just an overall good person." Organizers said next year's Pig Bowl will include a tribute to Byrd, ensuring his legacy lives on through a game and a community he helped shape.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Gunman arrested as California parole officer is fatally shot in his Oakland office in front of horrified colleagues
A California parole agent was fatally shot in the line of duty after an assailant stormed his office in Oakland. Joshua Lemont Byrd, aged 40, died when his attacker stormed the Division of Adult Parole Operations office at around 12.50 pm on Thursday. The suspect then fled from the building but was later detained by officers from Oakland Police Department (OPD). The suspect was identified as Bryan Keith Hall, 48, who was recently paroled from prison, according to Fox KTVU. Hall had a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing a man in the neck on Lakeshore in a case handled by OPD and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Father-of-three Byrd was transported to Highland Hospital, where he tragically died. On Thursday, OPD officers, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, CHP, and state patrol assembled outside the hospital when Byrd's body (shielded by an American flag) was carried out and placed into a coroner's vehicle. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis said in a statement: 'This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage - and we're forever grateful. 'We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] in mourning this tragedy.' Byrd left behind a wife and three children, and a GoFundMe account was set up to support his family members and loved ones. Byrd's partner Hugh Soloman explained on the page: 'Byrd was a great guy and officer. He was very dependable and cared for all. He was a Navy veteran before he joined CDCR and Parole.' 'The purpose of the donation is to help the family in the uncertain and tragic time. The honor box will show his family how much he was loved and honored.' The motive of the shooting remained unclear and was not yet released. Byrd's death's the first line-of-duty loss for CDCR since 2018.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Slain parole agent honored in procession Oakland to Sacramento; new details emerge in shooting
A solemn procession was held Friday afternoon as law enforcement officials escorted the body of state parole agent Joshua Byrd from Oakland to Sacramento. Meanwhile, new information on his fatal shooting and the suspect has come to light. Byrd was shot and killed at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole offices in East Oakland on Thursday. Friday's procession began at the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau in Oakland and ended at a Sacramento funeral home near the home where Byrd lived with his wife and three children. Oakland firefighters joined local law enforcement agencies in saluting Byrd's procession from overpasses as it traveled on Interstate Highway 580. Byrd spent 11 years with the CDCR, most of that time as a correctional officer. Last year, he transferred to become a parole agent, working with the Oakland parole unit. During Friday's graduation ceremony for new correctional officers in Galt, a moment of silence was held in Byrd's honor. "Rest in peace, Joshua Byrd. I was a sergeant when he came through as a cadet over 10 years ago," said Capt. Ricardo Jauregui. "So, I know I have a lot of staff here who are hurting. And it's a constant reminder of how dangerous our profession is." Law enforcement sources told CBS News Bay Area the suspect, 46-year-old Bryan Keith Hall of Oakland, walked into the Oakland parole office building with a gun. There are no metal detectors at the front entrance. A security guard working in the next building told this reporter he heard two gunshots. After Hall allegedly shot and killed Byrd, he crossed the street and got on an AC Transit bus, law enforcement sources said. Hall allegedly threatened the driver and ordered him to drive away. The sources said he later got off somewhere in East Oakland and allegedly stole a car, which was found abandoned near 79th Avenue and International Boulevard. Hall eventually walked to a bus stop at 90th and International, where police arrested him. A handgun that police say was used in the shooting in a trash can near that car. Hall has a lengthy criminal history in Alameda County that dates back to June 1996. Over the past 29 years, he's been charged with robbery, assault, drug sales, auto theft, evading police, and attempted murder. Before Thursday's shooting, his most serious case involved stabbing a man in Oakland's Lakeshore District in 2022. Officials say he randomly stabbed the victim in the neck. That man survived and Hall later pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon as part of a plea deal. He served more than two years in jail and was released on parole in February. It's still unclear if Byrd was hall's parole officer or what motivated the shooting. The Oakland CDCR parole office was closed on Friday. CBS News Bay Area asked CDCR and the union that represents parole agents whether security measures will be changed, but no response was received as of Friday afternoon. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered that flags at the State Capitol be flown at half-staff in Byrd's honor. Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued a joint statement mourning the "heartbreaking loss" and praised Byrd for serving "with integrity and courage". On a GoFundMe page, friends and colleagues described the 40-year-old navy veteran as a "great guy" and "very dependable." The online fundraiser had raised 90% of its $75,000 goal as of Friday afternoon. Byrd's death was the CDCR's first line-of-duty death since 2018.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Parole officer shot and killed in his office in front of horrified colleagues
A California parole agent was fatally shot in the line of duty after an assailant stormed his office. Joshua Lemont Byrd, 40, died after the attacker stormed the Division of Adult Parole Operations office in Oakland at around 12:50 pm on Thursday. The suspect then fled from the building but was later detained by Oakland Police Department (OPD) officers. He was identified as Bryan Keith Hall, who was recently paroled from prison, according to Fox KTVU. Hall, 48, has a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing a man in the neck on Lakeshore - a neighborhood in Oakland - in a case handled by the OPD and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Father-of-three Byrd was transported to Highland Hospital, where he tragically died. On Thursday evening, law enforcement officers from the OPD, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, CHP and state patrol lined up outside the hospital as Byrd's body - shielded by an American flag - was carried out and placed into an Alameda County coroner's vehicle. 'This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage — and we're forever grateful,' California Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis said in a statement on Thursday. 'We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR in mourning this tragedy.' Byrd left behind a wife and three children. A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family members and other loved ones. 'Byrd was a great guy and officer. He was very dependable and cared for all. He was a Navy veteran before he joined CDCR and Parole.' Byrd's partner Hugh Soloman explained on the GoFundMe page. 'Byrd started at CMF and was with us for a good long while before he transferred over to Parole. 'The purpose of the donation is to help the family in the uncertain and tragic time. The honor box will show his family how much he was loved and honored.' Over 500 people have donated to the GoFundMe, raising over $50,000 in total, with a goal of $75,000. The motive of the shooting remains unclear and has not been released at this stage. The CHP said in a statement: 'We do not believe there is any ongoing danger to the public.' Byrd's death is the first line-of-duty loss for CDCR since 2018. Flags at the state Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space will be flown at half-staff in Byrd's honor, according to Newsom's office. Byrd served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 11 years. Hall was paroled from prison a week and a half before the murder.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
California parole agent shot dead in Oakland; suspect sought
A California state parole agent was shot and killed in Oakland on Thursday, and a search was underway for a suspect, a law enforcement source told CBS News Bay Area. The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. at a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation building at the corner of Edgewater Drive and Pardee Lane in East Oakland, just across Interstate Highway 880 from the Oakland Coliseum. A large contingent of police and SWAT officers was later seen in an apparent standoff situation outside a building on Bancroft Avenue between 66th Avenue and Havenscourt Boulevard. This is a breaking news update. More information to be added as available.
