Marvin Boomer Obituary, Death; – Castlemont High School is set to hold its graduation ceremony on Friday, occurring less than two days after a math teacher was tragically killed as an innocent bystander during a California Highway Patrol pursuit involving an 18-year-old suspect in Oakland.
The atmosphere at Castlemont High was notably somber following the principal’s identification of the teacher as Marvin Boomer, described as a “beloved and vital member of the Castlemont family.”
Principal Joseph Blasher expressed in his letter, “His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues.” According to Boomer’s LinkedIn profile, he held a PhD and served as a graduate research assistant at North Carolina State University prior to joining OUSD in 2017.
Boomer lost his life, and at least two others sustained injuries, on Wednesday around 7:45 p.m. at the intersection of East 21st Street and Park Boulevard during a CHP pursuit of 18-year-old Eric Hernandez Garcia’s Infiniti G35, which police reported had been stolen.
A neighbor’s Ring doorbell captured the horrifying moments of the crash, during which Boomer was struck by a fire hydrant that had initially been hit by the Infiniti G35, which was without license plates.
The woman with whom Boomer had been conversing on the sidewalk went upstairs to a residence and requested the occupants to call 911, as shown in the video. Prior to Boomer’s death, Oakland police reported that Garcia had collided with a minivan containing two passengers – a woman who was injured and her companion, who opted not to receive medical treatment.
Oakland police indicated that the CHP terminated the pursuit at this juncture, despite police monitoring the situation from above. Oakland police spokesman Paul Chambers stated that Garcia’s vehicle continued to operate recklessly and ultimately crashed at East 21st Street and 12th Avenue without any officers in pursuit.
Garcia fled the scene, according to police, but officers managed to apprehend him. On Thursday, he remained in custody at Santa Rita Jail on charges of felony vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run, and evading police. The topic of police chases remains a contentious issue. Many in law enforcement say that they need the tools to pursue criminals and if they don’t chase suspects, then crime will continue to get out of hand.
Others point to tragic deaths and injuries – especially of innocent bystanders – like what happened in this case. “Was it worth it to catch that car thief? I don’t think so. I think that’s just horrible,” said Michael Eastwood, who lives at the corner where the man died. William Duarte told KTVU his wife and a friend were in the minivan that was struck in the first crash.
William Duarte said his wife suffered injuries to her leg and neck, and she told him that she heard sirens at the time, indicating the pursuit was active. He said he was frustrated his wife was hurt and that an innocent person had died.
The California Highway Patrol has looser rules on chasing suspects than Oakland police do. Recently, the Oakland police chief asked the police commission to loosen one particular aspect of city chase rules, where an officer would no longer have to request permission from a supervisor to drive faster than 50 mph.
Earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Oakland police can be held responsible when bystanders are injured, or killed, during reckless pursuits. Oakland City Councilmember Charlene Wang said the city is still working to refine its pursuit policy.
“We have to be thoughtful, and that’s probably why we did have a police chase policy in part, because there have been innocent bystanders that have been killed,” Wang said. The Anti Police-Terror Project, a grassroots group that is critical of law enforcement, is hosting a vigil on Friday at 6 p.m. at 12th Avenue and East 21st Street in Oakland.
