Had a criminal record, released from jail last year, was selling real estate but relapsed on drugs, committing “white collar crimes”, wanted by federal marshals
By Allen Payton
The man an Antioch Police officer shot Thursday night has died and was identified Friday morning by his girlfriend of 10 years, Antioch resident Jennifer Crackel, as Lloyd Joseph “Joe” Harris of Antioch. He was also known as “Bucky Joe” and “Buck” having been given those nicknames for his bucked teeth he had as a child.
She shared what she knew of Harris and what transpired, as she choked back tears.
“What the Antioch police did was really wrong,” Crackel said. “They didn’t say he was resisting arrest or pulled a gun. I was with him, yesterday morning. It was an airsoft gun. He would not have pulled it. I know this man. He was scared they were going to kill him. They straight up killed him in cold blood.”
She shared about Harris’ criminal past and current activities.
“He got out of jail, last year,” Crackel stated. “He was in jail in Solano County for three years and some change. I was with him (when he was arrested). He got into a high-speed chase, we never hit any other cars or any cops. No one ever got hurt. A Vallejo cop said Joe tried to ram him, but that wasn’t true.” (See related article by CBSLocal).
“His parents were finally able to make bail of $995,000, last year and he was still trying to fight his case,” she continued.”
“For about a year he was really doing well. He’s very smart,” said Crackel. “In September he relapsed on methamphetamines. He was definitely going the wrong direction. The police were already looking for him.”
“He didn’t sell drugs. He does real estate. He owns homes. He liked money. He wasn’t doing anything to harm anyone,” she continued. “He wasn’t robbing. He was doing, you know white collar crimes. Identity theft he was definitely involved with. He wasn’t doing it. He was orchestrating it. He had people doing it for him.”
Crackel then shared other reasons he was wanted by multiple agencies, as stated in the press release by Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks, following the shooting.
“He violated his probation. He didn’t show up for testing. He had a couple domestic violence abuse cases, with me. A couple bad ones,” she stated. “The federal marshals were looking for him. There was a federal warrant out for his arrest for selling large amounts of drugs across state lines. That was about 10 to 12 years ago.”
“I don’t know exactly why the Antioch Police were looking for him so hard. He didn’t deserve death,” Crackel said.
“One of the officers said to me, some time ago, ‘Tell Buck what I always tell him, the time limit on my murder charge never goes away.’”
Asked if he was wanted for murder, Crackel responded, “They were trying to say that. But it was b…s… It was going on for years. They had a vendetta against him. They straight up killed.”
“What was the reason for them to open fire on him, like that?” she asked. “One shot. They were aiming to kill him. He was dead before he got to the hospital.”
When asked how she knew that, Crackel replied, “I called the hospital and I could just tell by the way they talked. They couldn’t tell me anything.”
Asked if she has spoken to the police, she said, “I haven’t. But, his parents have. The District Attorney and Chief of Police came to their house about 10 or 11 last night in Antioch…they’ve been living here in Antioch their entire life. They’re good people. The best I’ve ever met in my life.”
“They started asking Joe’s parents, if he was violent, if he was carrying around a gun. Interrogating them,” Crackel continued. “They (his parents) started getting offended. They wanted to know if he was still alive. His dad got really mad. He said ‘I want to know what’s going on.’ They said, ‘he’s dead. He’s gone.’ So cold hearted.”
Asked if she was there at the time, she replied, “No, I was not there. I called his dad and he told me right after. He was so p—ed off about it. They know how much I loved him.”
“His mother is just beside herself. That was her only child,” Crackel shared. “He would have been 41 in April.”
However, when asked about Crackel’s claims, Chief Brooks responded, “While I cannot at this time confirm the name of the person involved in the incident last night, I can assure you neither myself or the district attorney are directly involved in the investigation, and neither of us were part of, or present at, any interviews.”
Harris had also been arrested by Pittsburg Police in 2010 for evading police and attempting three carjackings during a chase. See related article by the Contra Costa Times.
Please check back later for any updates and more details.
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