Officer still on life support

Published 3:28 pm Sunday, March 22, 2009

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland police are backing off an earlier statement that a fourth officer shot Saturday had died.

Oakland police department spokesman Jeff Thomason said 41-year-old Officer John Hege was pronounced brain dead but was still on life support this afternoon.

Thomason said that a final decision was still being made about donating Hege’s organs.

Authorities say a 26-year-old parolee opened fire on Hege and 40-year-old Sgt. Mark Dunakin after they pulled him over on Saturday, killing Dunakin.

Suspect Lovelle Mixon was slain later that afternoon in a gunfight with police that left two more officers dead.

Thomason identified those officers as 43-year-old Sgt. Ervin Romans and 35-year-old Sgt. Daniel Sakai.