quite well. but earlier it was a scene from a post apocalyptic movie. early mid afternoon a major metropolitan bridge carless all traffic on both decks, both directions. it's because of the suspicious package someone saw hanging from the rail of the treasure island offramp. a package the sfpd bomb squad was called in to deal with. such a major closure raised questions with those stranded and they wanted answers. >> some time officers will get out and make contact with the first vehicles in the stack to let them know what's going on and only to move on our order. >> reporter: but for those in the streets on both sides of the bridge, sank into building gridlock, rid owe reports put out news of a traffic upset. >> takes us like 40 minutes to

go from two blocks, like 53 take us almost an hour to get here. >> reporter: it would take until about 3 for the bridge to fully reopen and until 4:30 for the bomb squad to clear the ramp, presumably with the package. so with a city jammed with traffic jamming activities, traffic is as normal as anyone would reasonably expect on a busy friday summer evening. reporting live from a toll plaza, tom vacar, ktvu channel 2 news. and some members of the anaheim angels were affected by this afternoon's bridge shut down. the angels are playing the a's in oakland. the team's hotel is in san francisco. angels beat writer tweeted that josh hamilton and other players had to take bart to the coliseum because they didn't get on the team's early bus to the ballpark. warning of the situation on the bridge. if you want to get those alerts, download the ktvu app

for your phone and tablet. get updates by liking the ktvu page on facebook and following us on twitter. continuing coverage tonight of the violence plaguing oakland. this is surveillance video giventous by a father who says his son and grandson were in a car when it was shot up by strangers. luckily nobody was hit by the gunfire. the father says the violence needs to stop. and calls for private security after a woman was shot and killed in broad daylight just driving her car in her own neighborhood. before judy was gunned down she was pushing for the extra protection. it's not just that neighborhood looking to find more protection. business owners are looking at hiring private security after their businesses are repeatedly damaged in violent protests. >> this has many people who live and work in oakland fed up and angry. they're saying enough is enough. and now as cara liu tells us, some people are calling on city leaders to declare a state of emergency for the entire city.

>> reporter: we talked to a lot of folks who say one way or the other this city needs help. business owners fed up with the violence in oakland especially along international boulevard are taking matters into their own hands. small groups have begun to meet trying to see if they can hire private security. >> we have a mind to do it. we talk about it. i think it's really important for our area. >> reporter: the folks want private patrols after a gunman burst into their repair shop last month and took off with someone's car. >> this guy came in with a gun. came into the shop. flashing his gun around. and we all left the shop. we was scared. >> reporter: this morning just two days after beloved pet sitter judy salaman was shot and killed, noel gallo announced he thinks the city

should declare a state of emergency. >> for those of us in oakland. we're tired of our grandmas being shot, killed, robbed, assaulted on a daily basis. >> reporter: gallo says it's time the city set aside its pride. >> the county has offered. they offer police academies. they offer crime labs. they offer whatever support, but we were too proud and we said no to them. >> reporter: and gallo says he will start drafting language this weekend and plans to introduce his request in early september. live in oakland, cara liu, ktvu channel 2 news. it is a big night in the bay area this friday night with several events starting within the next 90 minutes. all of them expecting to draw tens of thousands of people. the backup caused by the bay bridge closure could make getting where you need to go a little harder tonight. the oakland a's are hosting the angels. the giants are hosting the chicago cubs at 7:15. then at 7:30 just down the

street it's jay z and justin timberlake at candlestick park. and john mayer. plus the nhra sonoma national drag races in the north bay. david stevenson has more on the big weekend and traffic problems it could cause. >> reporter: i'm on 23rd street above 101. traffic headed southbound is moving at a clip. northbound, different story. the pace is expected to remain slow because of events here in the city and elsewhere. from cyclists to candlestick park. expect clogged streets tonight. >> it'll happen all over the city with the traffic being impacted. >> reporter: tonight's justin timberlake-jay z concert is expected to bring thousands of extra cars. there's the monthly critical mass ride and the giants-cubs game. >> i can't imagine what it's going to be like when we leave.

it's worth it. we're at the giants game. >> reporter: in the east bay, expect heavy traffic from a's fans heading into oakland for tonight's game. there's a 7:30 john mayer concert. and drag racing till 10:00 tonight. streets of san francisco's north beach may be overrun this weekend. the sequel to rise of the planet of the apes is set to film here tomorrow. officers will hold traffic here for 30 seconds at a time. prompting concern from local businesses. >> it affects things in terms of people stopping and gawking. whether that's positive or negative, i don't really know. >> reporter: again, another live look at 101 from 23rd street to san francisco. law enforcement is urging folks going out to those events to take public transit. as you can see, the tie ups will continue likely for the next several hours.

reporting live in san francisco, david stevenson, ktvu channel 2 news. another big weekend event, large crowds are expected at the gilroy garlic festival. organizers say they think about 100,000 people will attend this event this weekend. you can find more information on the gilroy garlic festival and all of the weekend's events on our website, just look under today's hot topics at ktvu.com. continuing coverage on the possibility of another bart strike. a bart spokesperson tells us there has been some progress today between the transit agency and its unions. that is despite the absence of bart's chief negotiator. right now no talks are scheduled over the weekend. but they are expected to resume at 9:00 tuesday morning. and there are just now 9 days to go before the union's 30 day contract extension is set to expire. the deadline has been set for

august 4th. if no deal is reached by then, we could face another bart strike. today cal trans put the finishing touches on a huge outdoor laboratory that will age bolts decades older in just a few weeks. tom vacar has this story you'll see only on 2. >> reporter: next week in this yard laiden with many protective k rails and mounds of sandbags, reminiscent of a defensive military position. >> we're not cutting corners. >> reporter: extreme corrosion aging tests begin. the rod bolts mounted inside these boxes have sophisticated strain gauges attached to them. the end of the bolts will be bathed in precisely made salt water. >> not just getting water out of the bay and dumping it. they're taking water that's been deio ionized, the water is as pure as can be and they brought in a chemist to mix the

right combinations. >> reporter: a force equal to the combined weight of 10 full size semi trucks will stretch them, possibly to failure. >> all the sandbags and steel plates and railing, that is for protection. if and these break, don't want pieces flying everywhere. >> reporter: when the jacks pull this bolt and stretch it, what will happen is they will take this giant wrench and crank it back down where it will sit for two days. they'll keep repeating that and repeating that to see how many years this bolt is likely to last. >> whether we'll see a problem in 20 years, 30 years, or if we ever see a problem. >> reporter: the bolts will be examined to see how well they performed down to the molecular level. tom vacar, ktvu channel 2 news. there were some anxious moments in the east bay when evacuations were ordered after a natural gas leak. started about 9:45 this morning

in richmond. pg&e says workers ruptured a natural gas main. richmond fire officials say the contractor didn't check where underground pipes are buried. firefighters went door to door at nearby apartments telling people they needed to leave. the leak was capped about 11:30 and people were eventually allowed back into their homes. we know what caused faulty emergency alerts in contra costa county after a gas leak in alamo yesterday. alerts went out to unaffected areas. a sheriff's spokesperson says part of the problem was a software upgrade. also a technical error by a contractor caused the message to be sent out. a bay area soldier is set to receive the nation's highest military award. the congressional medal of honor. army staff sergeant ty carter is receiving the medal for

combat in afghanistan. this is video produced by the insurgents in their battle. as many as 400 taliban attacked the base defended by just 53 american troops. another soldier has received the medal of honor for their bravery that day. >> they heard comrades were pinned down. they unloaded everything they had into the enemy positions. with that cover three wounded americans made their escape. >> sergeant cart already receive his medal on august 26th at the white house. a money grab by greedy lawyers or a push to protect patients? >> it's very important that these laws change. >> the fight over how much money should go to victims of medical malpractice. cooler conditions ahead. when you'll see the biggest temperature drop where you live this weekend. fired after pepper spraying

protesters in the face. why this former officer says he should be compensated. 5ñ

it's a picture that seems to live on in the internet world. a uc davis police officer walking down a line of protesters pepper spraying them. that video create add national outrage. the officer shown spraying the demonstrators was dismissed from the uc davis police force. john pike says he suffered a psychiatric injury in the aftermath of the incident and he has filed for workman's compensation. members of the occupy movement say they are angry. >> the fact he's claiming benefits for the mental trauma he received for the violent act he committed. i mean, that's a perversion of

justice. the community is justifiably outraged. >> workers compensation attorney said if pike is awarded a 50% disability claim he could get a little more than $150 a week. activists will soon be asking for your signature on a petition to let voters decide the fate of an obscure state law. since 1975 it has set fixed cap on certain medical malpractice awards. john fowler is investigating if that law needs to be changed. >> reporter: doctors and clinics say keeping that malpractice cap reduces their costs, allows them to treat more patients better. some activists and families say it's unfair. >> i can't believe she's not here. >> reporter: jessica can of san francisco teared up over photos of her mom. >> it makes me want to fight harder. >> reporter: 59-year-old michelle wu died from what a jury found to be medical

malpractice. jessica said several attorneys declined to take her case. >> it's unjust for everybody who goes through any sort of medical malpractice case. >> last -- >> reporter: steven pratt says upping that cap could cost billions. >> take it out of the healthcare system and put it into the pockets of the trial lawyers. couldn't come at a worse possible time. >> reporter: patient advocates want voters to decide whether to overhaul the law. raise that cap on noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering from $250,000 to over $1 million. >> it's very important that the laws change. >> reporter: a jury said medical errors caused brain damage and she should get $6 million for pain and suffering. her sister urged people to support changing micra. >> she was only awarded $250,000 out of that $6 million. >> reporter: opponents include

doctors, clinics, nurses, unions. >> a lot of people have a lot to lose if healthcare costs go up. all of us are working together to oppose this kind of change. >> it's not the greedy lawyers and attorneys, it's not the greedy plaintiffs. we're the victims. >> reporter: supportedders need half a million signatures to qualify this initiative for the november 2014 ballot. if it does, expect an expensive and emotional election battle. john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. bay area temperatures have been dropping over the past couple of days. that trend will continue as we head into your weekend. here's your live camera. i have noticed over the past couple of hours that fog bank increasing in coverage and depth. that's a good sign. right now on live storm tracker 2, showers and thunderstorms, primarily to the south and east

of lake tahoe. out toward the nevada area. we have low clouds and fog here. the satellite perspective hugging the coast down toward pillar point. as we showed you with the live camera, that fog bank pushing into the bay. current temperatures are in the 80s. 82 in fairfield. the cooler end of the temperature range keeping san francisco in the upper 50s. oakland reporting 62 degrees. we have the watch of the shallow marine layer. we'll cool things off for saturday into sunday. with that temperatures inland, we're not talking about major heat this weekend. overnight lows will be in the low to mid50s. fog focus coastside right around the bay. a few patches inland. could have drizzle to start out tomorrow morning. especially driving highway 1 right near the immediate shoreline. high pressure moving out of town. this weather system a couple hundred miles offshore will be approaching the bay area into the weekend. that'll be the source of

drizzle saturday morning into sunday morning. the real cooling moves in from the north. here's the overall trend saturday into sunday. this trend will continue into next week for monday into tuesday. here's our forecast model. we'll take this into your stand morning at can and 8:00. expected coverage here. coast side around the bay, a few patches inland. this is 8:00. just like today the clouds go back to near the coastline. as you can see here, leftover patches. same deal for the second half of the weekend. forecast highs for tomorrow, no triple digits. warmest locations on track to reach the mid90s. wind speeds do crank up into the afternoon hours by mid to late afternoon. could be approaching 20 to 25 miles per hour. right around the rim of the bay. upper 60s to 70s.

upper 80s to low 90s. 91 degrees by about 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. san jose in the upper 70s. 78. san francisco, forecast high of 62. last weekend of july, that means the garlic festival. looks good. temperatures basically in the 80s for afternoon highs. overnight lows in the 50s. sunday will be the coolest day. look ahead, five-day forecast with your weekend in view. cooling trend for sunday. that will continue into monday and tuesday. warmest locations barely make it into the mid80s. we warm things up by wednesday. summer time in the bay area. talk about the fog. it'll be a key factor for saturday and sunday. >> sounds nice. >> refreshing. >> thank you, mark. disturbing graffiti is found scrawled across a house. police are investigating it as a hate crime. san francisco is the place to be tonight. we're live at candlestick park

where tens of thousands are about to see justin timberlake and jay z take the stage. help with medical expenses after a freak accident. michelle ortiz lost her leg last month during a boating accident. she's in a wheelchair. friends hope to raise her enough money so to buy the equipment so she can walk. the fundraiser will be held this sunday at 2:00 p.m. features a barbecue and live music. a fund has been set up. orders from outer space. why astro naughts on board the international space station were controlling a robot in the bay area. ♪

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a bay area based robot took its orders from outer space. an astronaut on board the international space station remotely controlled nasa's  rover located in mountain view. it's part of a few field of research. >> here on earth, mark ibanez here to talk about the raiders. >> up in napa, getting it going full scale. this offseason they made one of

the riskiest draft choices in their history. guy who has not played in close to a year now. full pads after he was at n a near fatal accident during a practice session at college. that would be d.j. hayden. signed yesterday. on the field today wearing a red jersey, which means don't touch him. nobody was really doing full contact anyway. his well publicized medical issues aside, very comfortable as he gets acclimated. he's aware of the fact that some fans are skeptical. >> it was hurting, had to get it taken care of. stuff happens all the time. i just had to deal with it. i'm here now. i try not to even worry about it. people going to say stuff. i just -- i'm going to focus on whatever my career is. >> he's really not limited from a physical standpoint. but again, when a guy had played football in that long and you're asking him to start and stop and do those things,

he has to get into football shape and football condition. >> i can't wait to get that first contact game in. feel relieved. >> we'll see how that pans out. little change the subject, basketball stuff. one of the warriors is interested in getting on the u.s. team. that would be harrison barnes. replay of that. very impressive dunk. maybe not the most impressive dunk of the night. there was a serviceman in the stands and during a timeout in full gear and combat boots he slam dunked. i think that's worth taking another look. try dunking the ball with combat boots on. he did it. and very impressive. might earn himself a contract in his own right. that is the sporting life. the a's and giants later tonight. full highlights at 10. a lot of the angels over in the

city taking bart to get to the coliseum. >> speaking of traffic issues, we have shown you the trouble on the roads. because of the big events going on. coming up at 10, the fun part of the gridlock. the jay z and justin timberlake concert. we will show you tonight at 10. >> i think they're bringing sexy back out at candlestick. we're always here for you at ktvu.com and mobile ktvu. >> good night.

you explain to me why the pharmacist has to be 2 1/2 feet up above everybody else. what the hell is he doing he can't be on the floor with you and me? brain surgeons, airline pilots, nuclear physicists-- we're all on the same level. he's got to be 2 1/2 feet up. look out, everybody. i'm working with pills. spread out. give me some room. the only hard part of his whole job is typing everything onto that little tiny label. he has to get all the words on there, keep the little paper in the typewriter roller. oh, no. he's got to be 2 1/2 feet up. "yeah, i'd like to get this prescription."