Full Notification

MEDIA RELEASE / COMMUNITY ALERT
For Immediate Release No. 20220216-013
Wednesday February 16, 2022

Man Arrested after Shooting at an Officer in a Targeted Attack

San Mateo, CA – On Thursday January 27, 2022 an individual sent an email to multiple San Mateo County departments, which contained a video of an unknown subject discharging a flare gun over a building. The San Mateo Police investigated and determined the building featured in the video was the San Mateo Police Department located on Franklin Parkway. SMPD also learned the email address was associated with a San Mateo resident named Yasuhito Oshima. 

On Tuesday February 15, 2022 at approximately 9:00 p.m., a San Mateo Police Department officer responded to a call for service.  He drove northbound on S. Delaware Street and as he approached the intersection of Cypress Avenue, he heard and saw a bright red burning object speed by his vehicle’s windshield. The objected landed in the yard of a residence on S. Delaware Street and continued to burn.
 
The officer exited his patrol vehicle to investigate the source of the burning object. While he did not locate anyone in the immediate area, he walked southbound and observed a male sitting at a bench at a bus stop. As the officer approached the male, who was later identified as Yasuhito Oshima, the officer noticed a flare gun lying on the ground near Oshima’s feet. Once Oshmia noticed the officer, Oshima immediately grabbed the flare gun and placed it his pocket. 

The officer gave Oshima lawful orders, and Oshima complied. Oshima was arrested without incident. A search incident to arrest was conducted on Oshima. The search resulted in the discovery of a flare gun in Oshima’s right hand jacket pocket. An area check located the charred remains of a flare, which was collected for evidence. Oshima was later booked into San Mateo County Jail for discharging a firearm with gross negligence, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and assault on a peace officer with a firearm.

SMPD advanced the investigation and learned Oshima targeted a police officer. Officers determined Oshima specifically waited for an officer to drive nearby him, so he could shoot at an officer. SMPD officers wrote a search warrant and executed it at Oshima’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, SMPD officers located a taser, taser cartridges, a mace pepper gun, mace pepper gun cartridges, and an empty flare cartridge, which were collected as evidence. 

This remains an open and active investigation.

ARRESTED
Yasuhito Oshima, a 44-year-old San Mateo resident
Charges: Discharge of a firearm with gross negligence 246.3(a) PC, Shooting into an occupied vehicle (246 PC), and Assault on a peace officer with a firearm (245(D)(1) PC)
 
MEDIA CONTACT
Alison Gilmore
Public Information Officer | Office of the Chief
City of San Mateo Police Department
200 Franklin Pkwy, San Mateo, CA 94403
650-522-7626 | [email protected]
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