Sahleem Tindle remembered in West Oakland

BART’s West Oakland station was closed because of a protest Thursday evening to remember Sahleem Tindle, who was shot and killed by a BART police officer one year ago, organizers and BART officials said.

As of 7:15 p.m. the station had reopened.

BART officials said protesters were blocking the fare gates and it had become an unsafe situation for passengers.

Cat Brooks, who attended the protest, said the gathering took place to continue a demand for justice for Tindle because protesters believe charges should be filed against the police officer who shot Tindle and prosecutors believe otherwise.

Brooks said:

“The demand for justice is not over.”

Protesters marched to the 1400 block of Seventh Street in Oakland, across from the West Oakland BART station, where Officer Joseph Mateu shot Tindle three times in the back while Tindle was allegedly struggling over control of a gun with another man.

In a report by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, a majority of the witnesses to the struggle said they thought Tindle was the aggressor. The aggressor was listed as Witness 1 in the report.

Thursday evening protesters left flowers and candles where Tindle was shot.

Brooks said of Mateu, “At the very least he should be fired.”

Later this month, a march will be held when organizers will lift up Tindle, his mother Yolanda Banks Reed and others.

One stop on the march will be BART where organizers have been before to demand justice for Tindle, who was 28 years old.

Bay City News

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