SAN LEANDRO (KRON) — Police officers responded to reports of a robbery on Monday morning and arrested a suspect who was armed with a replica pistol.
The suspect was inside of a 7-Eleven store in the 300 block of E. 14th Street and ended up shooting the clerk in the face around 8:30 a.m. 24-year-old San Leandro resident, Kevin Wooden and the store clerk verbally challenged one another prior to the shooting.
“This was a very dangerous situation for everyone,” stated Lt. Robert McManus. “The officer who spotted Wooden carrying the replica firearm made a split-second decision and safely arrested him without having to use any type of force in the process. Fortunately, this was resolved peacefully. It could have ended in tragedy,” he said.
As Wooden left the store, the clerk followed him outside and made sure that he was away from the area. While a regional employee of 7-Eleven attempted to get the clerk back into the store, Wooden turned around and fired a shot near the clerk’s eye. He used a pellet gun that was a replica of a Smith and Wesson M&P .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Wooden threw the gun into a bush when he saw police officers and was arrested.
The clerk was sent to a local hospital and will undergo surgery to remove the pellet from his face.
Wooden is being held at San Leandro Police jail and will be transferred to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.