How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police issue update on investigation into vehicle gunfire exchange, school lockdown
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department said it is continuing to investigate a Friday afternoon incident involving a gunfire exchange between two vehicles that led to a lockdown at a nearby school.
Sgt. Rodd Joseph said several Clearlake Police officers responded to the area of Redwood Street and Walnut Avenue just after 2 p.m. on reports of shots being fired between two vehicles.
He said witnesses reported that a white male adult, seated in the right front passenger seat of a gray sport utility vehicle or small van, was shooting a gun at occupants in a white sedan. Several callers reported that the firearm was a rifle.
The gray SUV/van was being driven by a white female adult with brown hair, Joseph said.
Both vehicles were last seen traveling at a high rate of speed east on Austin Road toward Old Highway 53, an area of town that's in close proximity to Burns Valley School, Joseph said.
As officers were responding to the call, Clearlake Police Dispatch contacted school staff at Burns Valley School and advised them of the public safety risk. With the information provided, school staff elected to place the school into temporary lockdown, according to Joseph.
He said it was reported that two classes of students were at Austin Park at the time of the lockdown and were temporarily relocated to Clearlake City Hall for safety reasons. This was done with the assistance of Stephanie Green, the Konocti Unified School District's school resource officer, who also a Clearlake Police officer.
Officers checked the area around the school and did not locate either involved vehicles, however, Joseph said they did interview numerous witnesses.
After checking the area, several police officers responded to Burns Valley School and cleared the campus. Once the campus was cleared, Burns Valley School officials reopened campus to release students, and Joseph said students and staff who had temporarily relocated to Clearlake City Hall returned to school.
Joseph said that during the incident, Clearlake Police Dispatch handled numerous calls from concerned and angry parents about the school lockdown.
He said the Clearlake Police Department did not issue or order the school lockdown and has no information about it, noting that the lockdown determination was made by school staff based on the information provided by the department.
However, Joseph said that while school staff made the decision to place the school into lockdown, it was the proper decision based on the information available at the time.
Because of the numerous calls from parents about the lockdown, Joseph said a call backup resulted for the dispatcher who was still trying to obtain critical information from witnesses about the shooting to relay to the responding officers.
Joseph said that parents should not contact the police department and tie up phone resources during a lockdown situation. Information about any lockdown will be provided by school staff and possibly by police once the situation is under control, he said.
Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Clearlake Police Officer Leonardo Flores at 707-994-8251, Extension 542. Though it is encouraged for witnesses to provide their name and contact information, they may also remain anonymous, Joseph said.
Editor's note: The Clearlake Police has offered an updated version of this report, posted above, which states that the department agreed with the school's decision to lock down the school based on the available information.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Lakeport Police seek information on patrol car vandalism
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is asking for the community's help in identifying the person – or persons – responsible for damaging a patrol car this week.
The department said that sometime early Thursday morning someone used a brick to completely smash out the rear window of one of its patrol cars while it was in the area of the 400 block of S. Forbes Street.
“It is unfortunate that vandals, in this situation, had no respect for law enforcement property belonging to the people of the city of Lakeport,” the department said in a Friday statement. “Now the police department has to spend precious public funds, in the hundreds of dollars, from our budget that then won't be available for other critical needs.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the department by sending a private message on its Facebook page @LakeportPolice, emailing
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Clearlake Police K9 apprehends man accused of robbery, assaulting officer
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A man who was reported to have robbed an auto parts store in Clearlake on Wednesday was taken into custody by a police K9, and is facing charges for striking the dog and assaulting an officer.
Clearlake resident Richard Kee, 49, was apprehended by K9 “Zip” not long after the robbery at Auto Zone on Lakeshore Drive, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department.
At about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to Auto Zone for a report of a theft from the store, Hobbs said.
Witnesses described the responsible individual as a white male adult, wearing a black jacket, sweat pants and white socks, according to Hobbs.
Hobbs said the subject already had left the scene after attempting to fight the clerk who confronted him about walking out of the store with stolen merchandise.
Officer Michael Dietrick and K9 Officer Mark Harden arrived a short time later and observed Kee – who matched the subject's description – sitting on a retaining wall behind Taco Bell, just to the west of Auto Zone. Hobbs said several Auto Zone employees also were pointing at Kee.
Hobbs said Kee appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and would not cooperate, telling the officers to shoot him.
When the officers attempted to detain Kee, he physically resisted arrest and struck one of the officers, Hobbs said.
Kee was able to break free and began running toward the front of Taco Bell. Hobbs said Harden deployed his K9 partner Zip, who apprehended Kee near the front entrance of the Taco Bell parking lot.
Hobbs said Kee struck Zip several times in the head before officers were able to place Kee into handcuffs.
The items stolen from Auto Zone were recovered and returned to the store, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said Kee was arrested for robbery, resisting arrest, resisting arrest with violence and striking a police dog.
Kee was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake where he was treated for canine bite injuries and medically cleared for incarceration before being transported to the Lake County Jail, Hobbs said.
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Sheriff's office investigates Monday night Middletown armed robbery
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred in Middletown on Monday night, with the man who committed the crime still at large.
Lt. Steve Brooks said deputies responded to Store 24, located at 21026 Highway 29, shortly after 10 p.m. Monday for a reported robbery.
When the deputies arrived a store employee said that an unknown male brandished a firearm and demanded money from the cash register, Brooks said.
After receiving the money, Brooks said the male with the gun reportedly left on foot and was walking southbound on Highway 29.
Brooks said the suspect was described as wearing all-black clothing with a full face mask which only showed his eyes. He also was described as being approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds.
The responding deputies checked the area and were unable to locate the male subject, Brooks said.
Brooks said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as they are obtained.
If anyone has information as to the identity of the man responsible for the robbery, they are encouraged to contact Det. Richard Kreutzer of the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at 707-262-4233.
This is the second armed robbery reported this month in Lake County.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 20, a male subject attempted to rob the Bruno's Shop Smart grocery store in Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.
The suspect in that Lakeport robbery later was identified as Jack Kendrick Owen, 36, of Cloverdale, who that same week is believed to have robbed another grocery store and a gas station, both in Cloverdale. He was arrested on Nov. 23 as he was leaving the gas station that police said he had just held up.
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Sheriff's office identifies men killed in Saturday crash; fundraisers begin to help families
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office has released the names of the two men who died in an early Saturday morning crash outside of Upper Lake.
Lt. Steve Brooks identified the men as David Ray Maracle, 27, and Tyler George Wilson, 21. Brooks said both men had Lakeport addresses.
The California Highway Patrol's initial report on the crash said that early Saturday morning Maracle was driving a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu northbound on Highway 29, with Wilson riding as his passenger.
Just before 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Maracle's vehicle hit the roundabout at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 29 just outside of the town of Upper Lake, the CHP said.
The CHP said the car flew through the air and landed in a walnut orchard just to the north of Highway 20, with the car coming to rest on its roof.
CHP Officer Ryan Erickson said at the scene on Saturday that speed was a factor in the crash, with other possible factors still not yet determined.
Both Maracle and Wilson, who were trapped in the car, were pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said.
GoFundMe accounts have been set up to benefit Maracle's wife and two small children and Wilson's fiancée, their 9-month-old son and his two stepchildren.
The accounts can be found at the addresses below:
• David Maracle: at https://www.gofundme.com/david-got-his-wings-too-early?ssid=820565248&pos=2 ;
• Tyler Wilson: https://www.gofundme.com/tyler-wilsons-expenses?ssid=820569076&pos=1 .
The CHP said the crash remains under investigation.
The accounts both have goals of $10,000. As of Monday afternoon, each had raised a little more than $1,800.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
