Santa Rosa Police Open Investigation into Officer-Involved Shooting
“On Mon., March 4, 2024, at approximately 12:10 a.m., the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a male subject brandishing a firearm, in unincorporated Sonoma County, in the area of Stony Point Road and Todd Road. Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies were advised the suspect was possibly driving a white 4-door sedan in the area. One deputy located the vehicle as it was being driven in the Todd Road and Standish Avenue area. Less than one minute later, the deputy advised “shots fired” over the radio. The investigation is still in its preliminary stages, and we cannot confirm at this time if the suspect, the deputy, or both fired shots. A rifle, believed to be in the possession of the suspect at the time of this incident, was later recovered. The Santa Rosa Police Department, the lead investigating agency for this incident, will release specific information about the rifle later, pending a complete examination and evidence processing.
The suspect then engaged the Sheriff’s deputies in a vehicle pursuit westbound on Todd Road. Approximately 10 minutes after the initial 911, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a fence in the 3200 block of Stony Point Road. It was at this location that both the suspect and deputies exchanged gunfire. The possibility of shots being fired by the suspect or deputies before the pursuit’s conclusion is being investigated by detectives. Deputies with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. They immediately began rendering medical aid to the suspect and several deputies who were injured during this incident.
The suspect, an adult male, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification and is anticipated to be released tomorrow. The Santa Rosa Police Department will disclose the cause of death following an autopsy, which is scheduled for later this week.
Four Sheriff’s deputies were transported to an area hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. One deputy suffered a leg injury, two deputies sustained hand injuries, and the fourth deputy suffered a significant head injury and remains in critical condition. The nature of their respective injuries is still being investigated and cannot be commented on at this time.
Based on the circumstances of the incident, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office invoked the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Employee-involved Critical Incident Protocol and requested the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office to lead an independent investigation into the events that led to the officer-involved shooting. The Santa Rosa Police Department’s Violent Crime Team has taken over the investigation. SRPD Field & Evidence Technicians are processing the crime scenes.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available throughout the investigation.”
