Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Faces Recall Efforts One Year Into Term
By Magaly Muñoz
On Wednesday morning, a memorial service was held at 3Crosses Church in Castro Valley to honor the memory of Tuan Le, an Oakland police officer who was tragically killed in the line of duty on Dec. 29.
Le was fatally wounded during an attempted burglary at a cannabis dispensary and was rushed to Highland Hospital where he died of his injuries hours later.
Family, friends and members of the community, including Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, gathered at the church to pay tribute to the dedicated and passionate officer they will dearly miss.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke about Le’s desire and courage to keep Oakland safe for everyone.
“I didn’t have the privilege or the opportunity to personally know Officer Le, but I didn’t have to in order to know that he loved this city, and that this city loved him,” Bonta said.
Bonta added that in the wake of the tragedy, many people shared stories about the type of person Le was, describing him as a passionate, bright smiling, cheerful, and dependable individual. He acknowledged that California is in debt to the courageous law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect and serve their communities.
Hundreds of people filled the seats and waited outside 3Crosses to pay their respects to the family and friends of Le. Several people, including the Interim Police Chief of OPD and Le’s family, spoke during the service.
Interim Chief Darren Allison choked up with tears while sharing the time he spent knowing Le during his service at the police department.
He recalled the day that Le graduated from the police academy in February of 2020, where he nervously pinned a badge on the new officer who had long aspired to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps to become a police officer.
“As I successfully pinned his badge, I remember the newly minted Oakland police officer Tuan Le and his broad smile as he beamed with pride in achieving his lifelong dream,” Allison said.
Allison shared that he had begun reflecting on the difficulties and sacrifices inherent in their job b, as many do when faced with tragedies like e, asking himself “If this is how it ends, why do we answer the call?” He acknowledged that while the job isn’t glamorous, officers like Le knew that the community depended on him to keep the chaos at bay and that the job was a calling only few would understand. The sacrifice that Le made will be immortal and he will be deeply missed.
Le was born to a single mother in Saigon, Vietnam before immigrating at seven years old to Oakland. He graduated from Oakland High School and received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University. He worked at OPD for four years before his untimely passing.
His cousin, Jennifer Ky, tearfully shared a childhood story of young Le before he moved to the U.S., where he asked his mother to buy him an apple and his mother’s hesitancy because of how tight their finances were at the time. She ultimately decided to buy it for Le, knowing it would be the last time he would be in Vietnam.
Le, who Ky jokingly said had never been shy about eating even at seven years old, chose to wait and share the apple with his two cousins who he’d been living with as a farewell gesture before leaving for a new country.
“This was the kind of person Tuan was at seven years old and at 36 years old,” Ky said through her tears. “From childhood to now, we will always remember Tuan for his willingness to share his time, making the effort to bring us together.”
The speeches were followed by a flag and badge ceremony presentation for his wife and mother, with a final radio call shortly afterwards.
The memorial service ended with a procession of officers, guests and family lined up outside the church to follow Le’s casket to his final resting place after a flyover tribute.
