Hayward police on Tuesday dropped newly edited bodycam and surveillance footage from an Oct. 8 shootout in a Mission Boulevard shopping center parking lot, a rapid-fire confrontation that somehow ended with no officers or bystanders hit.
The video shows a man later identified as 40-year-old Jaime Mejia Lopez crouched beside a parked hatchback, opening fire on officers, then tossing a handgun before surrendering. Police say Lopez was medically cleared at a local hospital and later booked on multiple counts, including three counts of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
What the Footage Shows
In the released footage, officers roll into the 29000 block of Mission Boulevard after a caller reports a man brandishing a handgun in the shopping center lot. Cameras pick up Lopez taking cover behind a small hatchback, then firing at officers.
Officers return fire several times. The video shows Lopez eventually throwing the handgun aside and complying with police commands before being taken into custody. The sequence aligns with the timeline outlined in local coverage, according to The Mercury News.
Why Police Released the Video Now
The Hayward Police Department said it initially held back the footage and other evidence to avoid stepping on both the criminal investigation and the internal review of the shooting. The material was released on Tuesday in an effort to be as transparent as possible while those inquiries are still active, according to the City of Hayward.
The critical-incident package was posted on the department’s transparency page and shared across its social media channels. In its public statement, the department thanked residents for their patience and stressed that it would not issue any conclusions about the officers’ actions until all the facts were in.
Charges, Booking, and Custody
Officials identified the suspect as 40-year-old Jaime Mejia Lopez and said he suffered a minor thumb injury during the incident. After being medically cleared, Lopez was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
Jail records and local reporting show he is being held without bail on multiple counts, including three counts of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. An arraignment was scheduled in the days following the Oct. 8 shooting, according to CBS Bay Area.
Investigations and What Comes Next
The Hayward Police Department states that its Internal Affairs Unit is conducting an administrative review in parallel with a criminal investigation led by the Homicide/Major Assaults Unit. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has been notified and is tracking the case, identified by the Hayward Police Department as number 2025-058337.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Scinto at 510-293-7176. The incident remains under investigation, and the department is urging the public to allow investigators time to review the evidence, including the newly released video.
