A Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy was killed and two California Highway Patrol officers were injured during a shootout Wednesday near a Sacramento motel, officials said.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said deputy Robert French, a 21-year veteran of the sheriff's department, died on his way to the hospital. The two CHP officers injured in the shootout were hospitalized in stable condition.
The incident began when two women led CHP officers on a 20-mile vehicle chase in what was believed to be a stolen car. The pursuit ended in Elk Grove, and officers then returned to a Sacramento Ramada Inn in the 2600 block of Auburn Boulevard to continue their investigation, sheriff's officials said.
After CHP officers announced their presence outside one of the rooms, a male suspect armed with a high-powered assault rifle opened fire through the front door and walls of a room, striking the two CHP officers, sheriff's officials said. The suspect, identified only as a 31-year-old Bay Area resident, then tried to exit the rear of the room and engaged sheriff's deputies in gunfire, striking French.
The suspect then got into a vehicle and led officers on a pursuit south on Fulton Avenue and then east on El Camino Avenue, sheriff's officials said. The suspect crashed the vehicle just west of Watt Avenue and again engaged officers in gunfire, at which time he was shot and detained.
He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition late Wednesday night. The two women also were arrested.
Police said late Wednesday no other suspects were found in the hotel. The determination came after a SWAT team conducted an hours-long search of the hotel where police believe a stolen vehicle ring was operating.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
