Gunman kills two California deputies
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A man armed with an assault rifle shot three sheriff’s deputies and a civilian, killing two of the deputies and leading dozens of police officers on a wild six-hour chase and manhunt Friday that spanned two Northern California counties before the 34-year-old suspect was taken into custody.
Marcelo Marquez, of Salt Lake City, was taken alive Friday afternoon from a home in Auburn in Placer County after the initial shooting hours earlier in a strip mall in a commercial area of Sacramento, said Placer County sheriff’s spokeswoman Dena Erwin.
“This guy was on a one-man crime spree today. He has no idea of the damage he did,” she said.
The four shootings sparked a massive manhunt by multiple agencies backed by search dogs, helicopters and armored vehicles. Residents nearby were told to stay indoors, and schools were locked down during the search. The owner of the home said officers used tear gas to drive the suspect from the basement.
“I think there’s those people who would say, ‘You know what, I wish you’d killed him,’ ” Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner said at an evening news conference. “Now, that’s not who we are. We are not him. We did our job.”
He identified his slain officer as sheriff’s homicide Det. Michael David Davis Jr., a 15-year veteran of the department and 18-year law enforcement officer. Davis, who would have been 43 on Wednesday, leaves behind a wife and four children.
A woman who was with the suspect earlier was also taken into custody in Placer County, and authorities said she had a handgun in her purse.
Marquez had a driver’s license that identified him as a Salt Lake City resident. He was taken to a hospital before he could be booked into jail, Erwin said.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said the deadly chain of events began when Deputy Danny Oliver, 47, approached a suspicious occupied vehicle in a motel parking lot around 10:30 a.m. and was shot in the forehead at close range.
Oliver, the first county deputy killed since 2008, was a 15-year veteran who leaves behind a wife and two daughters.