Full Breakdown
Oakland Shootout and Arson Involving Paroled Sex Offender Ale Spencer
9/2/2026, 5:47:43 AM
Core Event
On a Sunday morning in East Oakland’s Manzanita Park, 44-year-old Aleem Spencer, a convicted sex offender, threatened a woman and was reported to police. Officers responded and exchanged gunfire with Spencer around 10:30 a.m. Surveillance video shows him entering a neighbor’s backyard at 10:45 a.m., taking refuge in the basement while the resident and her 14-year-old daughter were inside. He later fled, entered an abandoned house on the 2600 block of 22nd Avenue, and, after police deployed gas, began throwing cans of flammable liquid and set the structure ablaze. Officers forced him out; he was taken on a stretcher to a hospital with apparent smoke-inhalation injuries.
Background & Context
Spencer was released from prison last year after serving a 20-year sentence for kidnapping and assault with intent to commit a sex crime (convicted in 2005). Since his parole began, state parole agents note repeated arrests and violations, including failure to charge his GPS monitoring device and possession of a loaded rifle with a 30-round magazine.
Official Statements & Responses
Oakland resident Matty Lynn Barnes described the incident as “a lot of chaos in a short period of time caused by one individual, so clearly unsettling.” Neighbor Chuck Ervin said, “The good news out of this bad situation is that it brought neighbors together.” The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announced it will review the case to determine whether to file formal charges.
What’s Next
Spencer remains hospitalized; he will be transferred to Santa Rita Jail once medically cleared. The district attorney’s review will decide on additional charges, and parole officials are expected to reassess his supervision status in light of the recent violent episode.
