SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. – The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the suspect, Thomas Daniel Littlecloud, from the officer involved shooting on August 30, 2107 has succumbed to his injuries sustained during the incident.
Sheriff’s Homicide detectives have identified Thomas Daniel Littlecloud, 32, of Castro Valley as the suspect responsible for the shooting death of Deputy Robert French yesterday at the Ramada Inn on Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento. Littlecloud is being treated at a local hospital and is currently in critical condition with life-threatening wounds.
A little after 9:30 a.m. on August 30, 2017, members of the Sacramento County Auto Theft Suppression Task Force were conducting an investigation near the Ramada Inn located in the 2600 block of Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento. The task force is comprised of investigators from the California Highway Patrol, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and Sacramento County Probation Department.
Investigators located a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the Ramada Inn. Two adult females entered the car. Officers attempted a vehicle stop on the suspect car, when a pursuit ensued. The pursuit terminated in Elk Grove, and both the females were detained. Priscilla Prendez, 23, of Oakland was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for vehicle theft and felony evasion. She was booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail and is being held in lieu of $90,000 bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court on September 1, 2017. The other female was questioned and released.
Detectives found that Prendez was on searchable probation out of the bay area, and registered to a room at the Ramada Inn. Detectives returned to the Ramada Inn to search the room. They gave knock and notice and announced themselves as law enforcement in case anybody else was inside the room. Multiple shots were fired through the front door and walls of the room towards officers. Two California Highway Patrol investigators were struck by gunfire from the suspect.
There were Sacramento Sheriff’s deputies positioned on the back side of the motel room. Littlecloud then attempted to exit through the back balcony of the motel room holding a high powered assault rifle. He engaged the deputies in gunfire, striking Deputy French during his attempt to flee. He fled from the balcony into a nearby car.
Littlecloud led officers on a pursuit south on Fulton Avenue and then east on El Camino Avenue. He crashed the vehicle just west of Watt Avenue, and engaged pursuing officers. The suspect was struck by gunfire and detained. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. The vehicle that he was driving was reported stolen out of the bay area.
Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail, Sacramento Police Department and California Highway Patrol’s SWAT team established perimeter on the motel. They isolated the room where the shooting took place, not knowing whether there were additional suspects inside the room. Residents of the motel were directed to shelter in place. After several hours, the tactical teams entered the motel room and deemed it safe. The scene was handed over to Homicide detectives.
The two wounded California Highway Patrol Officers are being treated at a local hospital. They are in stable condition and expected to survive. Sacramento Sheriff’s Deputy Robert French, 52, died of his injuries enroute to the hospital. Deputy French was a 21 year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, and assigned to the North Patrol Division. Deputy French leaves behind three adult children, grandchildren, a sister, and live-in girlfriend.
The investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Professional Standards Division, which is standard practice for any officer-involved shooting that occurs in the Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction. Independent review of the officer involved shooting will be conducted by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and the Inspector General. In accordance with the Sheriff’s Department policies and procedures, the six other deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.
