Body cam video shows rolling shoot-out between suspect, deputies in Sonoma County
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office released dramatic body cam footage on Friday of a wild gun battle, chase, and crash that killed an armed suspect and injured several deputies.
Authorities said deputies were responding to a report of an armed man at a nightclub who was making threats in the area of Todd and Stony Point roads on March 4. He had been kicked out the day before.
When deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect, identified as 53-year-old Jose Luis Villasenor Cervantes, he opened fire on them with an AK-47-style rifle.
"Let me see your hands!" a deputy can be heard yelling at the suspect.
Cervantes responded with more gunfire as additional deputies converged on him.
"Got one subject in the car moving around a lot," a deputy said, followed by "shots fired!"
The deputy returned fire in what was the first of several exchanges of gunfire during the harrowing confrontation.
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"These kinds of incidents are rare in Sonoma County where a suspect is aggressively coming after law enforcement," said Santa Rosa Police Lieutenant Christopher Mahurin.
After opening fire on the deputies, Cervantes also led them on a chase that ended when he crashed his white sedan into an empty sheriff's cruiser at Stony Point Road and Butler Avenue. Deputy Nicholas Dellia was outside his patrol car and trying to set up spike strips.
But Dellia was accidentally run over by fellow Deputy James Blount's car and suffered a major head injury and burns to his back.
The incident also left other deputies injured and their vehicles damaged.
"The deputy who suffered a severe head injury is still in the hospital. A second deputy was wounded on his leg and two other deputies suffered hand injuries," said Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram.
Authorities said Cervantes fired more than 50 times at deputies, who returned fire. Cervantes died after crashing into the deputy's car.
"The fact that this man shot more than 50 rounds from an assault-style rifle and still did not manage to cause more damage, more injury to deputies, we're very grateful," said Mahurin.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan