Two California sheriff’s deputies shot and killed; suspect in custody

UPDATE 10:42p.m.:

Flags at the California state capitol have been ordered to fly at half-staff on Friday night after two deputies were killed near Sacramento by a suspect allegedly armed with an AR-15 assault rifle. A third deputy was also shot but is expected to survive.

Investigators said it started at a Motel 6 in Sacramento, where the suspect tried to steal a car, shooting the driver and a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy. Investigators said the suspect initially got away, leading to a statewide alert. Three hours later, Placer County detectives were able to track him down, where two more deputies were shot.

“Just really mad. This guy was on a one-man crime spree today and he has no idea the damage he did and you know it’s gonna take a long time for us to not be mad,” said Placer County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Dena Erwin.

Detectives said the suspect Marcelo Marquez, 34, is in custody, after the manhunt that lasted several hours and spanned two counties. An armed woman was also taken into custody. Placer County investigators said all schools in Auburn were placed on lockdown during the manhunt for the alleged shooter.

When a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty, departments from across the country come together to mourn and heal together. On Friday night, NewsChannel 5 found out the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department plans to stand with those affected in the Sacramento area.

The two who were killed are 42-year-old Placer County Sheriff’s Detective Michael David Davis Jr., who was killed in Auburn, and 47-year-old Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Oliver, who was killed in Sacramento. Both are veterans in their departments, leaving wives and children behind.

Monterey County Deputy Sheriff Dan Mitchell said tragic situations like this create a ripple effect among law enforcement officers.

“You focus on what’s important which is the investigation and the safety of everyone involved. Afterward is when the stress and the nerves and the concern and those emotions come in,” Mitchell said.

Gov. Jerry Brown called Friday’s crime spree a series of “brutal murders,” extending his condolences to the families. Mitchell said officers will take a step back to learn and reflect, as more details become available.

“When we go to meet up before a shift, briefing time we talk about what we can learn from these situations. You try to learn what you can and try to make things safer for everybody,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said law enforcement officers are trained to handle these high-intensity incidents, but says they’re always difficult.

“Simulate a scenario where there’s a different incident like an officer involved shooting we would simulate it or this is the sequence of events that you can expect to happen,” Mitchell said.

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Officials say a second sheriff’s deputy has died after being shot by a suspect who has now been apprehended for four shootings.

Placer County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Dena Erwin says one of her department’s deputies was killed Friday after he was shot with an AR-15-type assault rifle.

A second Placer County Sheriff’s deputy was shot in the arm and was expected to survive.

A Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy died earlier in the day after he was shot in the head by the same suspect. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Bowman said the deputy was approaching a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot when he was shot before 11 a.m. Friday.

Erwin says the suspect, 34-year-old Marcelo Marquez, was taken alive Friday afternoon from a home in Auburn, 30 miles northwest of Sacramento. An armed woman was also taken into custody.

Officers chased the suspect for hours in a manhunt spanning two counties after the suspect shot three deputies and a bystander.