Overview
- Aleem Spencer, who police say threatened a woman and fired at officers on Sunday, fled through backyards after officers rescued the woman.
- Officers located Spencer shortly before 3 p.m. hiding in an abandoned home where he lit items, threw burning material at officers, set the house on fire, and was driven out and arrested after crews deployed smoke.
- Court and parole records show Spencer was released last year after about 20 years for a 2005 kidnapping and assault with intent to commit a sex crime and has since faced repeated arrests and parole violations including alleged weapons possession and GPS noncompliance.
- Spencer suffered minor injuries, no officers or neighbors were reported hurt, he was treated at a hospital and is expected to be moved to jail when medically cleared while prosecutors complete their review.
- The Oakland Fire Department is leading the arson probe and the episode prompted a temporary shelter-in-place for nearby residents, raising local concerns about supervision of high-risk parolees and community safety.