Deputy dead, officer critical after shooting in N. California; standoff continues

Calif deputy dead, officer critical after shooting

SANGER, Calif. — A gunman authorities say opened fire Thursday on police who tried to serve search warrants at his mobile home in Central California, killing a sheriff’s detective and critically wounding a police officer, has also died.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said authorities sent in a robot equipped with cameras to confirm the suspect’s death Thursday evening following a tense, daylong standoff outside the home in a rural section of San Joaquin Valley.

Dyer said it was not immediately clear if the suspect’s injuries were self-inflicted or suffered during the barrage of bullets he exchanged with officers.

He said authorities need to fingerprint and verify the man’s identity before releasing his name.