The Berkeley Scanner

The Berkeley Scanner is a standalone daily news source focused on reporting crime and public safety issues in Berkeley, California. Noticing police activity nearby? Smelling smoke? Hearing a helicopter? We’re here to uncover what’s going on. From earthquakes to power outages, we keep you informed with the latest news and essential updates. Additionally, we track significant cases as they move through the criminal justice system and report on the ongoing initiatives aimed at transforming Berkeley's methods of policing and fire safety in the future.

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Berkeley encampment closure lacked proper notice, judge says

1 day ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

The city of Berkeley "violated due process" this week when it tried to close a homeless encampment on Harrison Street without proper notice, a judge has ruled. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ordered the city to stop its removal of the Harrison Street camp until at least next week, due in part to a previously scheduled hearing on the matter.
Judge orders Berkeley to stop Harrison encampment cleanup

2 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A federal judge has ordered the city of Berkeley to stop the removal of a longstanding homeless encampment on Harrison Street until at least next week. "The City’s abatement shall cease immediately until further order," U.S. District Judge Edward Chen wrote Wednesday afternoon. The next court hearing on the encampment is set for Tuesday, June 10.
Berkeley fire on College Avenue leaves 1 man dead

3 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A man has died after an apartment fire on College Avenue in Berkeley on Wednesday morning, authorities report. Firefighters found two men trapped and rescued them, one from a balcony and one from inside the building, the Berkeley Fire Department said Wednesday. The second man sustained critical injuries and ultimately did not survive, officials said just before 1 p.m.The fire, in the Elmwood neighborhood, displaced six people.
2 men charged with gun crimes after Gilman shooting

3 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A longtime felon has now been charged in connection with a shooting investigation in northwest Berkeley that closed an intersection for hours Monday. According to court records, 31-year-old Alex Foster was charged with shooting into an occupied apartment, possessing a firearm and ammunition and other crimes. Berkeley police say Foster fired a gun through his ceiling into his neighbor's apartment at Gilman and Curtis streets. No one was hurt.
Transgender woman shot with pellet gun

4 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

Berkeley police are investigating a hate crime against a transgender support group leader Friday night. Authorities say someone in an older model black sedan shot the transgender woman with a pellet gun as she left a support group meeting in downtown Berkeley. The woman was walking east from Shattuck Avenue on the south side of Center Street when she heard a male voice yell out a homophobic slur, police said.
Berkeley shootings in 2025: The definitive gunfire map

5 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

The Berkeley Scanner has created a comprehensive interactive gunfire map so you can stay informed about shootings in the city and in your neighborhood. As of June 2, Berkeley has had five non-injury shootings in 2025 along with a report of gunfire on the freeway and one non-fatal police shooting. In late January, a man with a gunshot wound turned up at Alta Bates, but police learned he had been shot in Oakland. Berkeley police also received a report of gunfire Jan.
Berkeley police investigate gunfire report

5 days ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

Berkeley police have asked community members to avoid the area of Gilman and Curtis streets after a report of gunfire Monday morning. Police sent out a Nixle alert advising people to stay out of the area shortly after 11 a.m.Officers responded to the block earlier Monday morning after a man reportedly fired a round into a neighbor's apartment, Berkeley police said. No injuries have been reported. Police are now working to learn more.
Berkeley private school teacher charged with sex crimes

1 week ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A teacher at a private Berkeley high school for students with learning differences has been charged with more than 20 felonies stemming from a sex crime investigation that began last week, court records show. Berkeley police arrested Jason Hoopes, a 49-year-old El Cerrito resident, on Wednesday at Kaiser's Behavioral Health Center in Santa Clara, according to booking and court records.
5 gray whales found dead in the Bay Area in just a week

1 week ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A subadult female gray whale found dead in Berkeley over the weekend was one of five deceased whales in the region in less than a week, authorities say. To date, 14 whales — 13 gray whales and one minke whale — have been stranded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2025 alone, the California Academy of Sciences reported this week.
Man sentenced to anger classes

1 week ago | berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso

A man who attacked a couple at a Berkeley homeless camp and threatened to kill them this month has been put on probation and ordered to attend anger management classes, court papers show. Earlier this month, Berkeley police responded to a homeless encampment in the 1100 block of Eighth Street in northwest Berkeley to investigate an argument. That morning, police say Alejandro Padilla, 35, accused a woman of stealing his property from his tent on Eighth north of Harrison Street.