Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker said today he doesn't know why a Gerber man killed in a shootout with deputies acted so violently when officers showed up at his home.
James Long, 60, was killed in his home during a gunfight that also wounded a California Highway Patrol officer.
Parker said CHP officer David Madrigal, 41, was reported to be recovering at Mercy Medical Center in Redding after surgery.
"His prognosis is good," Parker said.
Long's girlfriend called the sheriff's department from Long's residence at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying Long was upset and throwing things around the house.
Parker said Long became enraged when his girlfriend, tired of Long's use of her computer, unplugged the device.
A sheriff's deputy and Madrigal went to Long's front door and the man opened fire. One round struck Madrigal in the right knee.
"A lot more shots were fired by my deputies and Mr. Long," said Parker. "We evacuated the area, and for eight hours we tried to negotiate. We could not make contact. Finally, we used a camera on a long pole to look into the residence. Kind of like a periscope."
On a video screen, the deputies saw legs on the kitchen floor. Deputies then entered the home and found that Long was dead.
Parker said it was not yet determined if Long shot himself or was shot by law enforcement. The department has no record of prior contact with Long.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079
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