Man allegedly attacks Piedmont police chief, elderly Ace customer

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

article

PIEDMONT, Calif. – Piedmont police arrested and tased a 42-year-old man who they say first struck an elderly customer inside Ace Hardware and then jumped inside the police chief’s car and attacked him — all rare events in this small, affluent city. 

Piedmont police said they booked Willie Gomer, who is homeless, on suspicion of assault with great bodily injury, causing injury to an elder adult, battery of a police officer, robbery, burglary, carjacking, and possessing narcotics.

The saga first began to unfold Friday just before 4:30 p.m. at the Ace Hardware on Grand Avenue, police said.

Witnesses told police that a man had “randomly struck” an elderly man from behind, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground at the hardware store.

Gomer then fled the store and ran into the garden center.

Police found him, but he was “uncooperative,” and refused to comply with officers’ commands, police said. He also appeared to be either drunk or high on drugs, police said. 

Police said that Gomer got physical with them, and officers deployed both pepper spray and a Taser.

Gomer was able to remove the Taser prongs and ran away into a private home in the 400 block of Sunny Slope Avenue where he allegedly threatened the homeowner, police said. 

He then ran out onto Valle Vista, where Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers had shown up himsef.

Again, Gomer refused to comply with orders, police said.

Instead, Gomer “advanced” on the police chief and jumped into his car, and tried to take off in the vehicle, police said.

Bowers got into his car to try to stop Gomer from fleeing, which is when he “attacked the chief,” police said.

More officers from Oakland and a security guard responded, police said, and were finally able to take Gomer into custody.

Efforts to reach Gomer or determine if he had an attorney on Saturday were not successful. 

Police said he was currently on parole for auto theft, robbery and kidnapping.

However, there was no one located by that name at Santa Rita Jail on Saturday. 

The elderly man was taken to the hospital and his condition is unknown.

A manager at Ace Hardware knew about the event but declined to speak to KTVU. 

Another officer was injured during the scuffle and was treated and released from the hospital.

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.

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