A disturbing video has surfaced showing Oakland police officers laughing and joking after a high-speed chase ended in the death of an innocent bystander. The footage reveals that the officers made fun of the incident and failed to provide help to the victim, 25-year-old Lolomanaia Soakai, who tragically died after the crash.
The Fatal Incident
In June 2022, a suspect, 19-year-old Arnold Linaldi, was seen driving recklessly on International Boulevard in Oakland. He was being pursued by officers Walid Abdelaziz and Jimmy Marin-Coronel, who were engaged in what is known as a “ghost chase.” This type of pursuit is unauthorized and not officially documented, with police officers failing to use lights, sirens, or alert dispatch about the chase.
The officers followed Linaldi closely during the chase, and at one point, Officer Abdelaziz is heard threatening a pedestrian, “I’ll run your stupid ass over.” Eventually, the chase ended in a violent crash. Soakai, who was an innocent bystander, was struck by the vehicle and died on the sidewalk.
Inhumane Response from Officers
After the crash, officers Abdelaziz and Marin-Coronel can be heard making callous jokes and expressing hope that Soakai was dead. “Hopefully he’s f–king dead,” one of the officers said. Another can be heard saying, “He smacked the f–k out of that truck.” The officers did not offer any help to the dying man and instead left the scene.
Later, the officers returned to the site and pretended to be unaware of what had happened, according to the family’s attorney, Adanté Pointer. The officers also turned off their body cameras and deleted parts of the video.
The Aftermath and Legal Action
The family of Lolomanaia Soakai filed a lawsuit against the City of Oakland. The 25-minute video of the incident, which includes body-cam footage and surveillance camera footage, was submitted as part of the lawsuit. It shows the officers’ complete disregard for the victim’s life and their failure to uphold their duties as law enforcement officers.
After the incident, both officers resigned from their positions. “These officers took every opportunity to skirt responsibility and dishonor their oath and their badge,” said Adanté Pointer, attorney for Soakai’s family.
The Lawsuit and Investigation
The family’s lawsuit is currently pending in the Northern District federal courthouse in San Francisco. The Oakland Police Department and the City Attorney have declined to comment on the matter.
