What happened to Tuan Le? GoFundMe raises over $97,000 as suspects identified in slaying of Oakland officer

Vietnamese-American Oakland officer Tuan Le, 36, was shot last week after he and other officers were responding to a burglary at a cannabis dispensary at Embarcadero and 4th Avenue.

On Friday, December 29, 2023, Tuan Le, who was working undercover and sitting in an unmarked car, was shot and killed when the burglary suspects tried to flee the scene. According to Fox News, officers did not return fire during the incident.

Le, who was rushed to a hospital, later died of his injuries. The late officer, described by the Oakland police department as a devoted husband, was reportedly surrounded by his wife, mother, and colleagues when he died at the hospital.

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Mark Sanders and Allen Brown charged with murder of Oakland police officer Tuan Le

Three days after Oakland officer Tuan Le was killed in the line of duty, the Police Department confirmed that several people were arrested in connection with the death on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

While multiple people were arrested in connection with the burglary, during a news conference on Wednesday, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced murder charges against two men for carrying out the killing of Tuan Le.

Price said Mark Sanders, 27, from Tracy, and Allen Brown, 28, are both being charged with Le's murder. Meanwhile, a third man, Sebron Russell, 30, was charged with burglary.

During the conference, Oakland Police Interim Chief Darren Allison confirmed that Mark Sanders has a lengthy criminal history, including murder. Chief Darren Allison said:

"I can confirm that he has a prior arrest history which does include the killing of another and additional other violent crimes."

Allison said at this time they will not be releasing the names of other suspects arrested in connection with the incident. The Interim Chief officer added:

"At this time, we are not releasing the names or number of individuals involved in this case. It is crucial to maintain the integrity of this investigation especially as there are additional suspects we have yet to arrest.”

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Tuan Le graduated from Oakland police academy in 2020

A GoFundMe initiative launched in the wake of Officer Tuan Le’s death to render financial assistance to his family revealed he was born in Saigon, Vietnam, on June 1, 1987, and moved to Oakland, where he became a citizen on September 11, 2001.

Le, described as a proud Vietnamese American, graduated from Oakland High School and San Francisco State University. The fundraising page, which has raised over 97,000 at the time of this article, said the late officer, who graduated from the police academy in February 2020, was devoted to bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community. The crowdfunding page added:

“For the past two years, Officer Le served as the Community Resource Officer (CRO) in West Oakland. As a native Oaklander who loved his city, his tireless efforts fostered positive relationships and made a lasting impact.”

Shortly before his death, Interim Police Chief Darren Allison presented Officer Le with the John Grubensky Award for helping to save a life. Le is survived by his wife, mother, and two dogs.