Update: Investigation Into Police-Involved Shooting On I-80 Widens

PINOLE-HERCULES, CA — Authorities are launching a multi-agency investigation into the fatal shooting by Richmond police on Interstate 80 in Hercules forced the closure of all westbound lanes for most of Thursday, snarling traffic across the Carquinez Strait and prompting major detours.

The shooting occurred around 7:15 a.m. and left one person dead, according to authorities.

Early reports indicated police responded reports of a gold Nissan Altima stopped on westbound I-80, whose driver had exited the vehicle and was standing in the roadway.

A man appeared in the roadway holding a metal object that he began waving at passing vehicles.

A Richmond detective who was nearby went to the site where he confronted the man.

He ultimately shot the man but details are still vague about those details. As a detective, he was not wearing a body camera.

The California Highway Patrol said traffic was backed up from Hercules to the Carquinez Bridge, and drivers traveling west from Solano County were diverted to Interstate 780, Interstate 680 and State Highway 24.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area near Pinole Valley Road and the Carquinez Bridge.

Caltrans crews created a temporary two-lane off-ramp to allow stranded motorists to exit onto local streets and ease congestion, CHP said.

More than a dozen law enforcement and traffic agencies responded to the scene.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office’s said because the incident took place on an interstate highway, the California Highway Patrol has primary jurisdiction over the investigation.

The California Attorney General's Office will lead the legal investigation based on the specific circumstances of the incident. The Contra Costa County D.A.'s participation in the investigation is in accordance with the county's protocol for shootings involving law enforcement.

While Assembly Bill 1506 requires the California Department of Justice to investigate officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians, this particular case does not explicitly fall under that mandate, according to the Contra Costa D.A. However, the Attorney General's Office has assumed the lead role, the D.A. said in a statement.

No details about the circumstances of the shooting were immediately released.

Bay City News Contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc.