Police said the officer is expected to survive after a standoff that prompted a neighborhood shelter-in-place order.
RICHMOND, CA — A Richmond police officer was shot Thursday evening while assisting with a mental health check at a home near the El Cerrito border, leading to an hours-long standoff before a woman was taken into custody, police said.
The incident began at about 6:41 p.m. Sept. 3 in the 2200 block of Key Boulevard. Contra Costa County’s A3 behavioral health crisis response team had been asked to conduct a mental health check on a resident and requested assistance from Richmond police, according to authorities. Police said the first officer to arrive at the home was struck by gunfire.
The wounded officer was taken to a local hospital. Richmond Police Chief Timothy Simmons said the officer, who has more than 20 years of service with the department, was in serious but stable condition and was expected to survive. Police did not immediately release the officer’s name.
Police said the woman then barricaded herself inside the residence and fired numerous rounds from the home. Gunfire struck a Richmond police patrol vehicle, other vehicles and neighboring houses, authorities said. No residents or assisting law enforcement personnel were reported injured, and police said officers did not fire their weapons during the incident.
“Given the number of rounds fired, this incident could have ended with many additional injuries or several losses of life,” Simmons said during a late-night news conference.
Richmond police deployed its SWAT team and crisis negotiators as the confrontation continued. Officers from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, El Cerrito Police Department and East Bay Regional Park District Police Department also assisted. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for people near Key Boulevard and Canyon Trail Park while officers worked to contain the scene.
Police negotiators established contact with the woman and worked toward a peaceful resolution. Authorities later used chemical agents in an effort to gain compliance, police said. The woman eventually came out of the residence and was arrested without further incident. The shelter-in-place order was lifted around 11 p.m. after authorities determined the area was secure.
The county’s A3 program, short for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime, provides behavioral health crisis response across Contra Costa County. According to Contra Costa Health, its teams assess calls and determine what level of response is appropriate. For emergency situations involving possible safety concerns, the county’s response model can include behavioral health staff and law enforcement.
Authorities had not publicly identified the woman as of Friday morning, and Simmons said investigators had not yet determined what charges she could face. Police also had not released further details about what led to the initial mental health check or the circumstances immediately preceding the shooting. The Richmond Police Department said the investigation remains active and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Author note: Last updated September 4, 2026.