Homeowner Killed

Two Dublin patrol officers who shot and killed a knife-wielding man in an upscale home last week also inadvertently killed the homeowner who was fleeing from the alleged assailant, police revealed Monday.

Richard Kim, 49, was being chased last Thursday night by his brother-in- law, Kwang Tae Lee, and had taken refuge inside a bedroom where he was holding the door shut, said Dublin police Lt. Glenn Moon. Officers arrived on the scene to find the knife-wielding Lee, whom they described as aggressive and assaultive, trying to get into the closed bedroom.

The officers -- fearing for their safety and the safety of a nearby occupant of the home who was not identified -- fired several times at Lee, killing him, police said. But one bullet penetrated the bedroom door and struck Kim.

Police were looking into the possibility that one of the bullets that struck Lee also hit Kim.

Lee, 61, who was visiting his sister's Dublin home from South Korea with his wife, was pronounced dead by paramedics inside the large home on Innisbrook Way in a brand-new subdivision.

Kim died from his injuries at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

Moon said the "tragic outcome" had arisen after the two officers responded to an alcohol-fueled domestic altercation at about 11:40 p.m. Thursday. Investigators said they did not know what had started the dispute.

According to Dublin officials, the two officers reported to the 3000 block of Innisbrook Way after neighbors reported hearing a loud dispute and a woman screaming. The officers also heard screaming and saw through a window that people were struggling inside the house, Moon said.

As the officers approached the home's front door, one saw Lee holding a large knife in a threatening manner while going up the stairs of the home, Moon said. The officers followed him up the stairs, he said, and ordered Lee to drop the weapon, but he held on to it and tried to enter the bedroom.

"They had to make a decision very quickly. They knew there had been a struggle in the house before they got there," Moon said. "Obviously they did not know (Kim's) whereabouts. They were focused on (Lee)."

Lee continued to hold the knife in a threatening manner and took several steps toward the officers, prompting them to fire again, Sgt. Herb Walters said Friday.

Kim was found in the bedroom with one bullet wound plus injuries he may have sustained earlier, Moon said.

The Alameda County coroner's office did autopsies on both men Monday but did not release results. Police, referring to the autopsy, said Kim had died from a single gunshot wound.

Kim's wife, Jee Kim, said Monday that she was "very upset" at how the officers handled the incident that led to the deaths of her husband and brother. She declined to elaborate.

"I'm not in any condition to talk about it right now," she said, indicating that she was on her way to a hospital for medical treatment.

Dublin police did not reveal until Monday that a second man had been wounded by the officers. Officials initially reported only that police had found a man with serious injuries to his arm and face in the bedroom. Moon said Monday that the department had needed to further investigate Kim's injuries.

"We were not attempting to hide anything," Moon said.

The officers, David Taylor, 39, and Tara Russell, 26, were placed on administrative leave as a matter of routine. The shooting is being investigated by the Dublin Police Department and the Alameda County district attorney. Taylor and Russell are Alameda County sheriff's deputies who are contracted by the city of Dublin for police services.

Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. Tom Madigan, president of the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of Alameda County, the union representing Dublin officers, said the incident underscored how unpredictable a police officer's job is.

"The officers involved in that incident are smart, brave and compassionate people, and they take their responsibility to protect the citizens of Dublin very seriously,'' Madigan said. "I have great confidence in their judgment. Unfortunately and sadly, there's times when circumstances require that a deputy use deadly force. And those take a heavy toll on those involved. It is particularly tragic when an innocent life is lost."