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Oakland Police Gunned Down

Routine traffic stop sparks deadly gun battle.

In one of the worst police shootings in California history, three Oakland police officers are dead and one on life support after two gun battles with a wanted suspect. The carnage began early yesterday afternoon, when two traffic officers made a routine stop and the suspect opened fire, killing Sgt. Mark Dunakin, and severely wounding Officer John Hege. Acting on a tip, a SWAT team later charged an apartment where the suspect, Lovelle Mixon, took his last stand. Firing wildly, he fatally shot two SWAT officers, Sgts. Ervin Romans, and Daniel Saka, before another SWAT member killed him. Hundreds of police waited outside the hospital afterward for word on the officers' condition. "In these moments, words are extraordinarily inadequate," Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums told reporters at police headquarters last night.