Bay Area

Memorial Service Held in Castro Valley for Oakland Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty

On Wednesday morning, a memorial service was held at 3Crosses Church in Castro Valley to honor the memory of Tuan Le, an Oakland police officer who was tragically killed in the line of duty on Dec. 29. Le was fatally wounded during an attempted burglary at a cannabis dispensary and was rushed to Highland Hospital where he died of his injuries hours later.

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Oakland Post

Officer Tuan Le

By Magaly Muñoz

Le was fatally wounded during an attempted burglary at a cannabis dispensary and was rushed to Highland Hospital where he died of his injuries hours later.

Family, friends and members of the community, including Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, gathered at the church to pay tribute to the dedicated and passionate officer they will dearly miss.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke about Le’s desire and courage to keep Oakland safe for everyone.

“I didn’t have the privilege or the opportunity to personally know Officer Le, but I didn’t have to in order to know that he loved this city, and that this city loved him,” Bonta said.

Bonta added that in the wake of the tragedy, many people shared stories about the type of person Le was, describing him as a passionate, bright smiling, cheerful, and dependable individual. He acknowledged that California is in debt to the courageous law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect and serve their communities.

Hundreds of people filled the seats and waited outside 3Crosses to pay their respects to the family and friends of Le. Several people, including the Interim Police Chief of OPD and Le’s family, spoke during the service.

Interim Chief Darren Allison choked up with tears while sharing the time he spent knowing Le during his service at the police department.

He recalled the day that Le graduated from the police academy in February of 2020, where he nervously pinned a badge on the new officer who had long aspired to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps to become a police officer.

“As I successfully pinned his badge, I remember the newly minted Oakland police officer Tuan Le and his broad smile as he beamed with pride in achieving his lifelong dream,” Allison said.

Allison shared that he had begun reflecting on the difficulties and sacrifices inherent in their job b, as many do when faced with tragedies like e, asking himself “If this is how it ends, why do we answer the call?” He acknowledged that while the job isn’t glamorous, officers like Le knew that the community depended on him to keep the chaos at bay and that the job was a calling only few would understand. The sacrifice that Le made will be immortal and he will be deeply missed.

Le was born to a single mother in Saigon, Vietnam before immigrating at seven years old to Oakland. He graduated from Oakland High School and received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University. He worked at OPD for four years before his untimely passing.

His cousin, Jennifer Ky, tearfully shared a childhood story of young Le before he moved to the U.S., where he asked his mother to buy him an apple and his mother’s hesitancy because of how tight their finances were at the time. She ultimately decided to buy it for Le, knowing it would be the last time he would be in Vietnam.

Le, who Ky jokingly said had never been shy about eating even at seven years old, chose to wait and share the apple with his two cousins who he’d been living with as a farewell gesture before leaving for a new country.

“This was the kind of person Tuan was at seven years old and at 36 years old,” Ky said through her tears. “From childhood to now, we will always remember Tuan for his willingness to share his time, making the effort to bring us together.”

The speeches were followed by a flag and badge ceremony presentation for his wife and mother, with a final radio call shortly afterwards.

The memorial service ended with a procession of officers, guests and family lined up outside the church to follow Le’s casket to his final resting place after a flyover tribute.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.