A retired police officer who was working as a security guard for a television news crew when he was shot Wednesday in Oakland, California, died from his injuries Saturday morning, authorities said.
“This unfortunate loss of life marks the City of Oakland’s 126th life lost to violence,” the city’s police department said in a statement.
His former departments, including San Jose police, identified the victim as Kevin Nishita.
“He was a crime fighter, even in retirement,” the San Jose department tweeted Saturday.
The coroner’s office in Alameda County, which serves Oakland, said it was unable to provide information, including Nishita’s age.
“Today, we escorted his body from the hospital with full law enforcement honors,” the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office tweeted.
Oakland police said Nishita was shot during an attempted robbery Wednesday afternoon in downtown.
Detectives are looking for a white 2000s Acura TL sedan seen in security video in the area of the shooting, which is being investigated as a homicide.
No arrests have been announced.
“This is heartbreaking,” U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, tweeted. “Retired Officer Kevin Nishita was murdered while protecting a @kron4news crew from an armed robbery.”
Bay Area television station KRON said Nishita was working with a reporter at the location of a recent smash-and-grab theft when someone tried unsuccessfully to take the crew’s video camera and opened fire.
No other injuries were reported.
The station said Nishita, who regularly guarded KRON crews, was armed and working for Oakland-based Star Protection Agency.
“Kevin Nishita honorably and bravely protected Bay Area TV reporters for years,” KRON reporter Amy Larson tweeted. “This morning we are heartbroken.”
Police in Colma, south of San Francisco, said Nishita had been a sergeant and detective there before retiring in 2018. The department said he’d also worked for the police department in Hayward. San Jose police said Nishita served as an officer in their community from 2001 to 2012.
KRON reported that Nishita had also worked for the Oakland Housing Authority, which has a police force.
The station said he is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.
Linda Takahashi, Jay Varela and Diana Dasrath contributed.