The Alameda County case against Cedric Irving Jr., accused of killing beloved Oakland football coach and educator John Beam, hit a major legal roadblock Friday after a judge ruled the defendant mentally incompetent to stand trial, prosecutors said.
The decision follows months of psychological evaluations after proceedings were suspended in January.
Prosecutors say Irving Jr. could now be sent into state custody, with the court considering commitment to the California Department of State Hospitals.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 8.
The ruling comes in the aftermath of a high-profile killing that rocked Laney College and the broader Oakland sports community.
On Nov. 13, 2025, authorities responded to the Laney College athletics field house where Beam, 66, was found shot and critically wounded on campus. He was rushed to a hospital but died the following day.
Investigators say Irving Jr. was arrested just after 3 a.m. the next morning at a commuter rail station.
Police reported he was carrying the firearm used in the shooting and later admitted to carrying out the attack.
Court documents and investigators described the incident as a “very targeted” killing.
Surveillance footage helped police identify Irving, who allegedly confessed to the shooting.
He also claimed he believed Beam was using “witchcraft” against him, according to reports citing law enforcement sources.
Irving, who previously played football at Skyline High School, reportedly had a long-standing fixation on Beam, a figure he knew through local football circles.
Though he never played under him, Irving was known to spend time around the Laney College campus.
Beam was more than a coach, he was a towering presence in Oakland athletics.
He served as head coach at Laney College starting in 2012 and had been part of the program since 2004.
After retiring from coaching last year, he continued as the school’s athletic director.
His influence stretched far beyond campus. Twenty of his former players went on to reach the NFL, and his leadership was spotlighted in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” in 2020.
Each charge carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life. He is also expected to be arraigned Tuesday, though his competency ruling now puts the trajectory of the case in question.
