Two men have been charged in connection with an attack that killed David Patrick Underwood, a black federal protective security officer, and injured another officer who was shot in Oakland, California, late last month, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Murder and attempted murder charges have been filed against Steven Carrillo, an Air Force sergeant and the alleged gunman in the May 29 drive-by shooting that resulted in Underwood’s death. A second man, Robert Alvin Justus Jr., has been charged with aiding and abetting murder and attempted murder for his alleged role as the getaway driver of the vehicle from which Carrillo is alleged to have attacked the guards.
The two men are believed to have ties to “an extremist ideology that promotes inciting a violent uprising through use of militias,” according to prosecutors.
Carrillo was charged last week in a separate case in connection with the death of a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s sergeant.
“Liberty flourishes in the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “Indiscriminate targeting of law enforcement officers by those motivated by violent extremism of any stripe is contrary to our nation’s values and undermines the powerful message of peaceful protestors. The Department of Justice stands in support of all Americans exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceable assembly and speech, but we stand firmly against anyone who seeks to hijack the protests with acts of violence and destruction.”
Charging documents indicate at approximately 9:27 p.m. on May 29, a white Ford Econoline-style van parked across the street from the federal building in Oakland on Jefferson Street.
“The van was parked facing the guard post where Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building. Shortly after the van parked, a man emerged from the driver’s seat and walked around the area conducting reconnaissance for approximately ten minutes,” authorities said.
At approximately 9:43 p.m., the van moved north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo allegedly fired multiple rounds from a firearm toward the guard post, killing Underwood and injuring his partner, prosecutors said.
Federal authorities said they believed Underwood was targeted because he was a member of law enforcement.
“Pat Underwood was murdered because he wore a uniform,” said David Anderson, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California. “But he was much more than just the uniform he wore. Pat Underwood was a brother, a father, and a son. Many, many people will miss hearing the sound of his voice and laughter. Pat Underwood wore his uniform because it signified his authority to protect the courthouse where we are gathered here today. This courthouse exists to administer justice, to uphold the rule of law, and to protect the freedoms that we all cherish. In announcing today’s charges, we are reaffirming our determination to protect those who protect us.”
Brian Levin, executive director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, told the Los Angeles Times that Carrillo’s social media posts had become increasingly disturbing, including “memes about the so-called ‘Boogaloo’ movement, a right-wing extremist group that anticipates civil war.”
