Local News

Man Charged With Murder Of Oakland Officer Had Faced Manslaughter Charges and Imprisonment As A Teen

Man Charged With Murder Of Oakland Officer Had Faced Manslaughter Charges and Imprisonment As A Teen

According to court documents and many law enforcement officials, a Stockton man who was charged with murder on Wednesday in the death of Officer Tuan Le had previously been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with a 2014 gunfight that claimed the life of an 18-year-old male.

In addition to the murder accusation, Mark Demetrious Sanders, 27, is accused of multiple additional offenses, including the specific charge of second-degree murder of a peace officer during a drive-by shooting, authorities stated on Wednesday night. Le was on an undercover detail observing an early-morning burglary at a cannabis shop on December 29. Police had already identified Sanders as the individual who had reportedly fired fire into an unmarked police truck carrying Le.

However, additional court records indicate that Sanders has previously been detained on suspicion of murder and burglary of a cannabis establishment. The U.S. Marshals detained Sanders in Modesto in April 2014 when he was seventeen years old, on suspicion of the murder of Marcellus Perry.

In February 2014, Perry lost his life in a gunfight with multiple gunmen that took place close to Bancroft and 77th avenues. Law enforcement sources claim that in 2015, Sanders entered a plea of not guilty to voluntary homicide in juvenile court. He received a sentence of more than ten years, although he was released after five.

Authorities claim that on December 29, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Sanders, Sebron Russell, 30, Allen Starr Brown, 28, a resident of Chico, and other individuals broke into a cannabis shop located on the 400 block of Embarcadero. Le was in an unmarked police car exiting the facility’s parking area when one of the robbers opened fire, hitting Le in the head. Le had reacted to a break-in at the same location hours earlier.
While Brown, who police believe was in the suspects’ car, possibly as the driver, was jailed on suspicion of murder on Sunday, Russell was taken into custody on January 1 on suspicion of second-degree burglary.

According to police officials, Brown was also charged with murder on Wednesday. As of the time of publication, it was unknown if Russell would face charges from the DA’s office.

Sanders, who has resided in Vallejo, Oakland, and Stockton in recent years, was taken into custody on Tuesday in Livermore. Le was allegedly handcuffed by the police while being booked.

In Contra Costa County, Russell, Sanders, and a 34-year-old man were detained and accused in 2021 of breaking into a Pittsburg residence that was growing marijuana. According to court documents, they each received a two-year probationary period and a six-month jail sentence after entering a guilty plea to burglary in 2022.

On December 29, Le, who was assigned to the burglary suppression team, was on plainclothes duty in response to reports of break-ins at nearby dispensaries. He saw the 4:30 a.m. break-in from an unmarked pickup truck with several plainclothes officers. Only moments before at least one of the robbers opened fire on them, they shifted the car into reverse. Surrounded by family and colleagues Oakland officers, Le passed away later at Highland Hospital.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *