On the morning of May, 13th shortly before 11:00 AM deputies were dispatched to the Jolly Washer gas station/car wash in the 19200 block of Hwy 12 in Sonoma. A manager of the car wash told dispatch that a 19-year-old employee was acting strange at work and was told to go home, but refused to leave. The manager also said the employee appeared to have a BB gun with him.

Two deputies, who are assigned to the Sonoma Police Department, responded to the call. They saw the employee standing behind a grey pickup in the car wash line. The employee was behind the truck and acting suspicious. The suspect then pulled out a handgun and fired at the deputies.

At least one deputy then used his service weapon to return fire, but did not hit the suspect as he was ducked down behind the truck. The suspect’s handgun appears to have jammed and the suspect threw his gun down, at which time the deputies took him into custody. The suspect’s loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun was retrieved and secured.

One deputy was struck by the suspect’s bullet. The projectile fired by the suspect was one that had multiple pellets, commonly called a snake shot. The deputy was struck in multiple places on his body. The suspect’s handgun was loaded with several more rounds of this type of ammunition. He was flown to a local hospital. Thankfully he is in good condition and is expected to survive his injuries. We ask that our law enforcement family joins PORAC in keeping the injured deputy in our prayers for a speedy recovery.