Oakland police release footage of fatal shooting of Jose Castillo

The Oakland Police Department has released body camera footage documenting the July 13 shooting death of 43-year-old Jose Angel Castillo in the Fruitvale neighborhood. The footage shows officers following Castillo for approximately one minute after he was pursued from a homeless encampment by California Highway Patrol officers.

According to the video, Castillo was carrying two homemade weapons consisting of long poles with blades attached to the ends. The footage depicts officers using Tasers on Castillo in a parking lot before opening fire as he swung one of the poles. This release follows a month of pressure from advocates demanding transparency regarding the department's initial account, which had only stated that officers encountered an armed individual who lunged at them.

In response to the incident and the footage, community members held a protest in downtown Oakland on August 14. Organized by groups including the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, protesters marched toward police headquarters. Demonstrators criticized the officers' conduct, alleging that Castillo was in mental distress and posed no threat, while calling for increased police accountability and community control over policing.