PROBE: OFFICERS IN COP SHOOTING ACTED PROPERLY

OAKLAND -- The two young officers who shot and killed an undercover
colleague last week may have been new to the street, but theirs was not a
rookie mistake, an Oakland police investigation has concluded.

Officers Tim Scarrott, 23, and Andrew Koponen, 29, acted properly when they
fired 11 shots early Friday morning and killed Officer William "Willie"
Wilkins, 29, homicide commander Lt. Paul Berlin said Monday.

"These officers discharged their weapons in a manner that they were trained
to do," Berlin said. "These officers are good officers."

Partners Scarrott and Koponen fired after mistakenly concluding that
Wilkins, who they did not know was a fellow officer, was about to shoot a
suspected car thief he held at gunpoint.

Both Scarrott and Koponen served on Oakland's force a little more than a
year. Berlin said Wilkins, a popular seven-year veteran, might have assumed
they knew him by sight, which would explain why he never identified himself
as an officer.

The incident could prompt the department to reform protocol for undercover
operations, Berlin said.

Wilkins had chased an alleged car thief and was standing with a gun over
the man when uniformed officers arrived. The two officers ordered Wilkins
to drop his gun, Berlin said, but instead Wilkins stepped toward the
suspected thief.

"The officers felt in their minds that the individual on the ground would
be shot," Berlin said. "There was no recognition that they received
whatsoever that (Wilkins) was an officer."

Wilkins did not appear to fire back, Berlin said.

Scarrott and Koponen are on indefinite paid administrative leave, Berlin said.

"They're heartbroken over what happened," Berlin said.

Wilkins was the first Oakland police officer killed on duty by a fellow
officer, Berlin said. He is survived by his wife and 10-month-old son. His
funeral is planned for Thursday.