For the past couple weeks, I had noticed handwritten signs in my neighborhood along Market Street in North Oakland, advertising BBQ plates. For about $10, you could get a plate of barbecued chicken, links, and ribs, along with sides, sold by a guy named Eric Harvis, who set up shop out of his truck parked in a driveway on 46th Street, just east of Market. This weekend while walking the dog, I saw the sign again and made a mental note to stop by soon. But on Sunday night, I learned that I'd never get a chance to meet this BBQ chef. Harvis, or Trill as he was known by some, was shot and killed as he sat in his truck that night.
According to SFGate and the Oakland Tribune, Harvis had been BBQing to raise money for his upcoming wedding. He lived in Vallejo, but he grew up in North Oakland, and he had used his friend's driveway in that neighborhood to sell his plates on three consecutive Saturdays. October 19 was his first Sunday BBQ. At about 7:20 p.m., he and his fiance had just finished the day, packed up, and were sitting in their truck ready to go when they were approached by someone on foot, who shot Harvis in a possible attempted robbery. Harvis died at the scene and the suspect remains at large.
If you have some extra money to spare, the family has put up an online fund to help them pay for a burial. RIP, Eric Harvis.