. . . political candidates get robbed while leaving an anti-crime rally.
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Gunman-robs-Oakland-council-candidate-3960332.php
OAKLAND -- An Oakland City Council candidate was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday night near his home after he attended a neighborhood anti-crime meeting, authorities said.
Dan Kalb, 53, an environmental policy director who is one of seven candidates vying for the District 1 seat that represents North Oakland, said he had parked his car near his home on the 5100 block of Manila Avenue when he was accosted about 8:35 p.m.
A man pointed a gun at him, demanded his iPhone and wallet and fled in a car, said Kalb, who was not hurt. The robbery happened after Kalb had attended part of a neighborhood crime prevention council meeting.
"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" said Kalb, whose platform includes a call to hire more police officers and invest in programs that reduce recidivism rates for convicts.
Kalb said he was using his hands-free phone as he was getting out of his Ford Fusion hybrid - and digging through the back of his car for his coat bag and campaign literature - when he "felt a little poke in the back of my ribs."
"I thought, 'Oh, it's somebody I know, a neighbor,'" Kalb said. But when he turned around, he saw a man he didn't know with a gun.
Kalb said he fumbled and dropped his iPhone, and the robber repeatedly demanded it. The assailant then told Kalb, "Run!" and he obliged, returning to his home to call police. Officers arrived quickly but didn't find the man.
"It can happen to anybody," Kalb said. "No one is immune to being subjected to crime, including gun-related crimes. We have to do a better job of getting guns off the street. We need to hire more police and crime investigators. That's pretty key. We're not investigating enough crimes."
Kalb and six others are running to fill the seat belonging to Councilwoman Jane Brunner, who is challenging City Attorney Barbara Parker for her position.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Gunman-robs-Oakland-council-candidate-3960332.php#ixzz29hAeZQMD
