Community Corner

Novato Police Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting

The Marin City off-ramp from Hwy. 101 and parts of Donohue Street were shut down briefly Sunday night due to the search.

Updated 10am Monday

The Novato police department is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred Sunday night in Marin City, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's Lt. Jamie Scardina said a deputy was on patrol in Marin City around 6 p.m. when he spotted a man who has had contact with the authorities in the past and was known to have a suspended license. The deputy followed the car and tried to pull him over. He parked behind the suspect’s car, but as he was walking toward the vehicle, the suspect ducked down inside his car.

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The deputy drew his firearm and ordered the man, later identified as 44-year-old Chaka Grayson, to show his hands. At that point, Grayson accelerated his car towards the deputy, who fearing for his life fired several rounds at the suspect, according to the Sheriff's Office. The vehicle continued down Terners Drive and was later found abandoned.

But Keith Waye, a Marin City resident who witnessed the shooting, said that Grayson did not try to accelerate toward the deputy, but simply tried to leave after being pulled over.

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"The officer was standing at the driver side door and pulled out his gun after the guy tried to leave," Waye said, adding that the deputy fired eight to 10 times at the suspect. "He was shooting to kill. There were kids playing nearby and any number of people could have been hit...The situation should have been handled entirely differently."

The Sheriff's Office said that residents had gathered and began throwing rocks at the deputy, hitting him in the head and causing a wound. But Waye disputes this, saying no one hit the deputy.

Grayson was found several hours later with help from members of the community. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of the injuries he sustained in the incident. Scardina did not have any information about the exact nature of Grayson's injuries, though he reported earlier that Grayson was bleeding and likely required medical attention.

The Marin City off-ramp from Hwy. 101 and parts of Donohue Street, which were shut down briefly Sunday night, have reopened. Some parts of Marin City were also shut down due to the incident, the spokesman said.

It’s standard protocol for an outside agency to handle an officer-involved shooting to ensure an unbiased investigation.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Marin County Sheriff’s Office at 415-479-2311. To remain anonymous and possibly become eligible for a cash reward call Bay Area Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.


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