On the night of October 23, 2025, a tense standoff unfolded at the U.S. Coast Guard base on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California, as law enforcement officers opened fire on a U-Haul truck that reversed toward the facility’s gate. The incident, which left two people injured and drew national attention, capped a day of escalating protests and political maneuvering over federal immigration enforcement in the Bay Area.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security, the drama began around 10 p.m. when the U-Haul truck attempted to back into the secure base, which had been the site of protests earlier in the day. Officers at the scene issued multiple verbal commands, but the driver did not comply. Instead, as described in the official statement, the driver “suddenly accelerated backwards at a high rate of speed directly toward them.” Law enforcement responded by discharging several rounds of live fire, wounding the driver in the stomach and injuring a bystander with a fragment.
The truck driver, whose identity has not been released, was taken to the hospital for treatment and is now in FBI custody, undergoing a mental health evaluation. The bystander was treated at the hospital and released. No Coast Guard or security personnel were hurt in the incident, and officials have emphasized that the episode appears to be isolated, with no ongoing threat to the public. FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan stated, “At this time, the incident appears to be isolated, and there is no known current threat to the public.”
Video from the scene, as reported by ABC7 News, showed the U-Haul truck reversing toward the gate despite repeated commands to stop. “Coast Guard personnel issued multiple verbal commands to stop the vehicle, the driver failed to comply and proceeded to put the vehicle in reverse,” the Coast Guard’s statement read. “When the vehicle’s actions posed a direct threat to the safety of Coast Guard and security personnel, law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of live fire.”
The U-Haul company also confirmed its cooperation with authorities. “U-Haul is assisting law enforcement to meet any investigative needs they have,” spokesperson Jeff Lockridge said in a statement.
The shooting came just hours after a day of spirited, mostly peaceful protests on Coast Guard Island. Demonstrators gathered to oppose the arrival of federal immigration agents and a rumored ramp-up of enforcement activity. Many protesters carried signs reading “Protect our neighbors” and “No ICE or troops in the Bay,” singing hymns and calling for compassion toward immigrants. The protests were sparked by reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents had arrived at the base, raising fears of a crackdown on undocumented residents.
One protester, Kris Ness, who witnessed the shooting, told ABC7 News, “None of the protesters know the driver. We don’t know the name. We don’t know where he went. And after that we tried to let the Coast Guard know that we were peaceful.” Another protester, identified as Matthew, lamented, “I think what happened yesterday is a bad example of what we’re out here doing. It kind of undercuts our policy of a peaceful protest.”
Outside the base the following morning, the mood was calmer but still tense. Protesters remained determined, even after the immigration operation that had initially drawn them was called off. “There’s still 100 feds out there. There’s still 100 feds and now there’s Coast Guard out here guarding this bridge when they should have a job,” one protester told ABC7 News. The Coast Guard base itself, located on a 67-acre human-made island formed in 1913 in the Oakland Estuary, is a secure federal facility and has been home to Base Alameda since 2012, providing services for Coast Guard operations along the West Coast.
The events in Alameda unfolded against a backdrop of shifting federal policy and local resistance. Earlier that day, President Donald Trump had abruptly called off a planned surge of federal agents into San Francisco, a move he had threatened in response to what he described as rising crime in the city. After discussions with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and prominent business leaders, Trump said he was convinced that local officials were making efforts to address the city’s challenges. Mayor Lurie and Governor Newsom had argued that crime was actually on the decline and that federal intervention was unnecessary.
Despite the president’s decision to stand down, the earlier arrival of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Coast Guard base had already galvanized hundreds of protesters. The situation remained fluid, with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem warning at a news conference the following day that the administration might reconsider deploying federal agents if further violence occurred. “If they don’t figure out how to protect our law enforcement officers and protect our Coast Guard members, that we would be forced to come in and protect those individuals,” Noem said.
For the Bay Area, the federal government’s decision to call off the immigration operation was significant. Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez confirmed that the operation had been canceled for the entire nine-county Bay Area region, home to about 8 million people. This move stood in contrast to other Trump administration actions, such as the controversial deployments of National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities elsewhere in the country. Legal challenges to such deployments were ongoing in courts from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Oregon, and Chicago.
The day after the shooting, a separate incident added to the tense atmosphere outside the base. According to ABC7 News, Coast Guard officials fired non-lethal projectiles at a vehicle driven by an elderly woman trying to access the base’s pharmacy. Protesters quickly intervened, explaining she was not part of their group, and the officials ceased fire. The woman, visibly shaken, turned around and left the area.
Throughout the ordeal, protesters emphasized their commitment to peaceful demonstration. “This is my community. These are my people. I would regret everything if I didn’t show up out here and do something,” said a protester named Rose. Despite the violence and confusion of the previous night, demonstrators insisted that the actions of the U-Haul driver did not reflect their intentions or message.
As the FBI continues its investigation, the events at Coast Guard Island have become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement, federal intervention in local affairs, and the right to protest. For now, the immediate threat has passed, but the underlying tensions—and the questions raised by this dramatic night—remain very much alive in Alameda and beyond.
