A Richmond man walking near 15th Street and Macdonald Avenue Thursday afternoon said he narrowly missed being struck in the head by a half-full plastic jug of liquid that came crashing down onto the sidewalk, spraying him with red juice. The drink container was apparently thrown from the six-story downtown BART station parking garage.
And it’s not the first time this has happened to Jayson Johnson, an aspiring filmmaker who lives in the neighborhood and often uses CoBiz, a co-working and event space on the ground floor of the approximately 60-foot high structure.
Johnson told Richmondside Friday that in May 2023 he was almost hit by a smaller half-full plastic bottle of AriZona tea that also startled him as it came crashing down onto the sidewalk from above.
“I immediately looked up and I saw heads duck back in, probably three or four of them … I went across the street, looked up and waited. Probably about 10 minutes later a pack of kids on bikes barreled out of the parking garage.”
He estimated they were between the ages of 8 and 15.
Johnson said he reported the 2023 incident to BART’s emergency line. A dispatcher told him it would be investigated and that someone would get back to him, but he said that never happened. In subsequent years, he and others have seen fire extinguishers sitting around in odd places, including one on the hood of a parked car. He said a fellow CoBiz tenant said he saw an orange traffic cone come falling down from somewhere above onto the sidewalk.
Free Brown, who owns the other business that occupies a space below the garage, Vibe Bistro, told Richmondside Friday she has found about six fire extinguishers scattered about over the years, including one sitting atop the awning that stretches along the Macdonald Avenue side of the building. Until Johnson told her what happened, she didn’t know that they were likely being thrown from an upper level of the structure.
“If someone gets hit with a fire extinguisher from six stories up I am pretty sure it would cause a little bit of damage,” Brown said dryly, as she took coffee and sandwich orders.
Johnson said when he once went to the top of the garage, he saw fire extinguishers that had apparently been emptied of their contents.
BART says it takes problem seriously
BART Communications Director Alicia Trost told Richmondside via email Friday that they take the issue “very seriously” and are sorry for what Johnson experienced.
“BART Police would definitely respond to a report of objects being thrown from the garage,” Trost wrote. “In speaking with station staff, they do report that kids have been observed accessing the roof to hang out, especially in summer months. Vandalism to our property has occurred on the roof, and in response BART blocked the ramp to access the roof and also adjusted the elevator to not be able to access the roof. We will be discussing this report with the BART Police Zone Commander responsible for the Richmond Station.”
However, any level of the garage can be accessed via the stairs.
According to emails shared with Richmondside by Johnson, BART was notified of the problem by CoBiz Chief Executive Officer Wesley Alexander in 2023 and Thursday.
In a 2023 email Alexander, who could not be reached for comment Friday, told BART officials that a toddler was almost hit by a can of soda that was dropped from the garage and urged them to come up with a solution.
“I am proposing whether BART can install guardrails or something between the floors of the Richmond BART Parking Garage because youngsters are going into the parking garage to throw things over the ledge of the garage, generally from the (upper floors) — from fire extinguishers to cans of soda to spraying the fire extinguisher at times — a highly dangerous situation which almost resulted in a toddler being struck by a can (of) soda one time,” Alexander wrote.
He added that it had happened “at least three times,” saying, “I am not looking forward to a tragedy occurring over something so stupid.”
In response to an email Alexander sent Thursday about the latest incident, BART told him it has notified its police, safety, facilities and real estate departments, “asking them to take action that they deem appropriate.”
“It’s unclear to me at this time what action they may ultimately take, but I thank you for reporting this safety concern. Possibly, the most immediate thing that they can do is increase police patrol of the parking structure,” wrote Paul Viox, BART real property asset manager, stating that anyone with concerns should immediately call BART Police dispatch at 510-464-7000. Viox was also copied on Alexander’s 2023 email.
Richmond police chief urges witnesses to call 911
Richmond Police Chief Timothy Simmons told Richmondside said he searched past emails but couldn’t find anything showing that the department had been contacted about the issue. (It wouldn’t appear in police crime records because BART police have lead jurisdiction at the property.) The most common problem Richmond police are aware of there is car theft. A Richmondside reader also reported in November that they saw at least three cars with smashed rear windows.
Simmons urges anyone who sees something happening like Johnson witnessed to call 911. While the Richmond Police Department primarily offers back-up assistance in BART cases, officers would respond to an incident in progress, he said, since BART police officers aren’t always at the Richmond station.
Johnson said he won’t let his two close calls keep him from walking around downtown, but he’s spreading the word about it because he’s afraid that someone could get seriously hurt or killed.
“It could of hit me right in the head,” he said of Thursday’s incident. “It was just a micro-second away.”
Johnson is also concerned about the fate that could await the young culprits if someone is hurt. “I am dedicated to making some type of change happen,” he said. “One, for my own safety, and also for others’ safety. Some kid is going to throw their life away.”
Well, my car was broken into INSIDE the garage, the lock cover removed, battery stolen, belongings strewn about the garage about 3 months ago. Security could be improved there