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Hayward council honors 11‑year‑old who helped police locate armed suspect
Summary
The council presented a proclamation for National Police Week and publicly commended 11‑year‑old Farrow Brown Farlow for reporting a man with a gun at a Burger King on Oct. 8, 2025; police said the child’s description helped detectives identify a suspect who was later involved in an officer‑involved shooting but survived.
At the start of Tuesday’s work session the council read a proclamation recognizing National Police Week and honored an 11‑year‑old Hayward resident for his quick thinking during a potentially violent incident.
Mayor Mark Salinas read the proclamation and described how on Oct. 8, 2025 Regina Brown and her son Farrow Brown Farlow reported a person who appeared to have a gun at a Burger King drive‑through. Farrow provided detailed information about the suspect and the location of a firearm, according to the proclamation. Hayward Police Department detectives located a suspect, later identified in materials as Jaime Mejia Lopez; the encounter included an officer‑involved shooting and the suspect survived.
Police officials and council members presented Farrow with a plaque from the Police Department’s investigations division for “outstanding courage and commendable actions” and encouraged the community to recognize his contribution to public safety. Chief Brian Matthews thanked the council for the recognition and said the department is proud of the family and the youth’s situational awareness.
“He said something, and he said something very clearly,” a police investigator told the council during the presentation. The mayor and council then posed for photos and applauded the boy and his mother.
The recognition occurred at the start of a substantive budget work session and was followed by the council’s public comment period and the city’s budget presentations.
