Family of suspect feared 'suicide by cop'

A hail of 24 bullets from four Santa Rosa SWAT team officers killed a 23-year-old Oakland homicide suspect who investigators said Saturday had vowed not to turn himself in.

The four officers, who were assisting Oakland police in apprehending Haki Kuasi Gaidi Thurston, told Sonoma County Sheriff's investigators they thought Thurston was reaching for a gun at his waist as he fled from the Comfort Inn on Cleveland Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. Friday.

Thurston was being sought for the Feb. 12 murder of his 23-year-old cousin, who was killed in Oakland with a semi-automatic handgun.

Oakland authorities had tracked Thurston to the Santa Rosa motel and believed he was armed and dangerous, said Capt. Dave Edmonds of the Sheriff's Department.

Thurston's family told sheriff's detectives that he had said he would not go to jail after the slaying of his cousin and they feared he would kill himself or commit "suicide by cop."

The SWAT officers were armed with .223-caliber rifles, which are "similar to military-issue M-16s," Edmonds said. He did not know what part of Thurston's body was struck by the bullets, nor how many bullets hit him.

"I know he was struck several times, but I don't know how many times," said Edmonds, adding that an autopsy probably will be conducted Monday.

No gun was found on Thurston, nor was one found in the area when investigators conducted a search at daybreak Saturday.

The officers' names were not released, but officials said the four had 16, 14, 11 and 10 years of experience.

It was the first death in a confrontation with Santa Rosa police since July 2005, when a 31-year-old man under the influence of methamphetamine died after a struggle with officers who used a stun gun, pepper spray and a neck restraint.

In May of 2000, two Santa Rosa officers and an SRJC campus policeman shot and killed a store robbery suspect wielding a painted plastic squirt gun.

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office determined that the police actions were justified in both cases.

Santa Rosa Police Chief Ed Flint could not be reached for comment Saturday.

According to a statement by the sheriff's office, which is conducting the investigation of the shooting, Oakland police contacted Santa Rosa police at 8:55 p.m. Friday to request assistance in apprehending Thurston.

Oakland detectives told Santa Rosa police that they believed Thurston had been involved in a burglary of numerous assault rifles and handguns and that he may have been armed.

Edmonds said a woman, who was not identified, was staying at the motel with Thurston. The woman was released Saturday.

Thurston had been under surveillance by Oakland and Santa Rosa officers when Oakland officers noticed that he was leaving his motel room at about 10:12 p.m.

At the same time, Santa Rosa SWAT officers were being deployed and Thurston was just turning the corner of the motel toward the officers.

Officials said SWAT officers repeatedly ordered Thurston to surrender, but instead he ran and refused to stop.

Edmonds said that based on the Sheriff's Department's initial investigation, "case facts and circumstances corroborate the statements by the four officers."

He said the SWAT officers thought Thurston was about to arm himself when he apparently reached for something at his waist and that he was starting to turn toward them.

The barrage of bullets instantly brought down Thurston and he was transported by ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In accordance with standard procedures for shooting incidents, the four SWAT officers have been placed on administrative leave while the case is being reviewed.