A newly-painted basketball court in Pinole that has been dedicated in memory of slain Federal Protection Service Officer Dave Patrick Underwood is now open to the public, the city said.
Pinole City Council approved renaming the court at Fernandez Park after Underwood, a well-respected Pinole resident, on July 21, about two months after Underwood was fatally shot while on duty in Oakland.
“Community partners collaborated with City staff to repaint the basketball court in Mr. Underwood’s memory, which was unveiled at a small event on Oct. 3,” the city said.
In accordance with COVID-19 public health guidelines, the improved basketball court where Underwood spent much of his childhood is now open to the public, along with other city courts.
Underwood is remembered as a genuine and kind soul who was dedicated to his family, his job, and his community. On May 29, he was fatally shot and his colleague injured in an ambush shooting at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland. At the time, the officers had been guarding the federal building amid a protest over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Two men arrested in connection with the Oakland shooting were reportedly not part of the protest, but had planned their attack to coincide with the demonstration in order to avoid apprehension, according to the FBI.
Evidence uncovered during the investigation suggests the shooting suspect supported the Boogaloo movement, described as a far-right extremist ideology whose followers have been planning for a second American Civil War.
