Features

Police Shoot Dogs 

A police officer shot and killed two dogs early Thursday afternoon on the 2500 block of Haste Street, on the sidewalk beside Peoples Park. Police spokesperson Kevin Schofield said the two dogs, which witnesses described as black pit bull mixes, escaped from a parked car and began attacking a yellow Labrador. 

An officer left a business on Haste, saw the dog fight, and determining that the owner was unable to control his dogs, shot both of them. 

One pit bull staggered from the gunfire and dropped dead on the sidewalk, the other pit bull ran on to Haste where the officer shot it again. That dog later died at an animal hospital, Schofield said. 

The Labrador was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic and was expected to survive. Schofield said shooting the dogs was a last resort, but was “certainly within policy” because the dogs were a threat to the other dog and to people in the area.  

Homeless Man Dies 

Eric Helmso, an oft-sighted Berkeley homeless man, was found dead early Monday morning at a bus stop at University and Sacramento avenues. Helmso, 42, apparently died of natural causes, friend Doug Freitag said.  

Beatdown in West Berkeley 

Several women attacked another woman at Sixth Street and Bancroft Way, police said. Police arrived after the attack had ended, and did not arrest any of the assailants, Schofield said. 

Southside Brawl 

Police received a call of six to eight men fighting on the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue Sunday evening. Though the brawl had subsided when officers arrived, police arrested Antonio Sanders, 24, of Berkeley for felony assault as well as another man whose name was not available, Schofield said. 

Attempted Purse Snatch 

Police arrested Roy Jones, 46, of Berkeley in connection with an unsuccessful attempt to snatch a woman’s purse Sunday night.