Man Accused of Murdering Police Officer Delays Entering Plea

Eight months after Hayward police Sgt. Scott Lunger was fatally shot while making a traffic stop, the attorney for the man accused of murdering him said Friday that the man still isn’t ready to enter a plea in the case. Defense lawyer Robert Byers, who represents 21-year-old Mark Estrada, said at a brief but packed hearing in Alameda County Superior Court in Hayward that he wants to get all of Estrada’s medical records before he enters a plea on the charges stemming from Lunger’s shooting death on July 22.

Judge Joseph Hurley granted Byers’ request and postponed Estrada’s plea entry until April 22. Outside court, Byers said, “Ultimately, you want to know exactly what you’re dealing with and what issues may affect his plea, including mental issues.”

Lunger, 48, a 15-year police veteran who lived in Brentwood, was shot near Myrtle and Lion streets in Hayward at about 3:15 a.m. on July 22 after he and another officer stopped a white Chevrolet Silverado truck that police said was swerving and almost struck parked cars.

Police said Lunger was shot without warning as he approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley a short time later. The other officer fired multiple rounds at Estrada and his truck but Estrada managed to drive away, according to police.

Estrada abandoned his truck at 98th and Edes avenues in East Oakland and walked into San Leandro Hospital to be treated for his gunshot wounds, police said. Authorities contacted Estrada at San Leandro Hospital but eventually moved him to Highland Hospital in Oakland to be treated for a gunshot wound to his left lower flank above his waist, according to police. Estrada was released from Highland the day after the shooting and was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he remains in custody without bail.

Estrada is charged with murder and three special circumstance clauses: murdering a peace officer during the course of his duties, committing a murder while lying in wait and committing a murder by discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle.

Hayward Police Chief Diane Urban said after Estrada was arrested that he doesn’t have a prior criminal record but police believe he’s associated with a gang. Lunger’s older brother, Mike Lunger, and more than 20 Hayward police officers attended Estrada’s hearing Friday, as did about 20 of Estrada’s family members and friends.

See Also:

• In Photos: Candlelight Vigil for Sergeant Scott Lunger
• Slain Police Sergeant Remembered as ‘Ideal Officer’
• Police Sergeant Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop in Hayward
• East Bay Community Remembers, Says Goodbye to Slain Hayward Sergeant

By Bay City News

Photo courtesy Hayward Police