Anita Gay, 51

Berkeley, California
February 16, 2008

Agencies: Alameda County sheriff’s Office California | Berkeley Police Department California

Cause of death: Shooting

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Last updated: almost 4 years ago

Overview

An officer responding to reports of a domestic disturbance at a south Berkeley apartment building Saturday night used deadly force on a woman who allegedly confronted the officer with a knife, according to the Berkeley Police Department. 

The Alameda County coroner's bureau identified her on Sunday as 51-year-old Berkeley resident Anita Gay.  

Police first responded at about 6:40 p.m. to the apartment building in the 1700 block of Ward Street on a domestic disturbance call reporting that someone in the area was breaking windows, the Police Department reported. 

Police responded to the apartment building a second time at about 8 p.m., when a woman confronted an officer with a knife, the department reported. 

The officer fired his weapon in defense of another person and of himself, according to the Police Department. 

The woman died a short time later, police reported.

Family and friends of Anita Gay held a lively rally on the busy intersection of Martin Luther King and Ashby Boulevard on Friday to commemorate the first anniversary of her murder. The protest demanded that the officer and the Berkeley Police department be held accountable for Anita Gay's death. The protest also called for justice for the victims of the epidemic of police murders in the East Bay .

On February 16, 2008, Anita Gay -grandmother and longtime Berkeley resident - was shot in the back and killed on her front porch by a lone Berkeley police officer. The bullets passed through her into her apartment, grazing her daughter’s face and narrowly missing her grandchild. The police claim the shooting was justified. The media has demonized the family and blame the shooting on Anita.

Community and Family Efforts

February 2009 Vigil

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