Overview
- Placer County deputies fatally shot 44-year-old Derek Spencer after he fired at officers during a pre-dawn confrontation that ended around 4 a.m. Monday, the sheriff’s office said.
- Tactical teams searching a home where Spencer had been found the body of 76-year-old Cheryl Macy, whom investigators say Spencer is believed to have shot and killed.
- Authorities say Spencer rammed a patrol vehicle, fled into steep, densely forested terrain and fired at deputies and a sheriff’s helicopter during a manhunt that lasted nearly 20 hours.
- The multi-agency response used CHP infrared aircraft, drones and eight SWAT teams to track Spencer through rugged forest that limited visibility and mobility.
- Deputies recovered a handgun and a rifle at the scene and investigators continue to process the area and probe the circumstances of the homicide and the fires that complicated response and evidence recovery.