Deputy Danny Oliver and Deputy Michael Davis Jr., two officers who were killed in an Oct. 24 shooting rampage, were laid to rest at Adventure Christian Church in Roseville, Calif. Oct. 27 and Oct. 28.
An estimated 3,000 people were in attendance at both services, as reported by The Sacramento Bee.
“The citizens and communities have shown great support in response to this incident. From phone calls, emails, social media posts, letters, flowers and visits, to hosting candlelight vigils, fundraisers, donations, support at funeral services. [Their] presence at an organized funeral ceremony or procession is overwhelming to officers and survivors who serve the community,” said Sergeant Lisa R. Bowman, the sheriff’s spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
The Oct. 24 shooting turned into a six-hour manhunt, which included the participation of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Probation, State Parole, and the FBI — with a team of around 300 officers — along with citizen cooperation. Alleged shooter Luis Enrique Monroy-Bracamonte — accompanied by his wife — supposedly shot Deputy Oliver in the head while in a parking lot on Arden Way. From there, Monroy-Bracamonte and his wife reportedly attempted hijacking two cars, wounding citizen Anthony Holmes and Deputy Jeff Davis and killing Deputy Davis Jr.
“This incident serves as a real reminder that our years of ongoing, updated and tactical training may come into play some day. We battle complacency within our organization, just like in any other line of work. I think what happened that day is a testament that law enforcement and services provided to the public are often dangerous and can happen in an instant,” Bowman said.
Sacramento and Placer Counties citizens were warned to stay in their homes and schools went into lockdown. Media outlets worked to cover the event for the safety of the citizens.
“Information given was much of what we were hearing through news media: It was the person involved in the shooting down in Sacramento, that he was armed and extremely dangerous and that he killed two people, along with injuring others and [committed] several carjackings,” said Peter Efstathiu, principal of Placer High School.
As the hunt continued into the evening, citizens were further directed away from the police activity and told to stay home. Monroy-Bracamonte was finally found around 5 p.m. in Auburn, where he was taken into custody.
Community members have also acknowledged the amount of coordination and teamwork used by the police force.
“I feel law enforcement did a remarkable job considering the events and the amount of coordination required among all the agencies. I never felt unsafe for myself, the school or the people in it. They communicated well, and did their job,” Efstathiu said.
“This is still an ongoing investigation. Information that has been made public at this point can be viewed on the Sacramento Sheriff’s YouTube channel, where they posted the video from last week’s press conference,” said sources from the response staff of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Monroy-Bracamonte was found to go by multiple identities, with an extensive legal history, and has been deported to Mexico twice. This fact launched the story to the forefront of a number of immigration debates. (According to a study at the Migration Policy Institute, from 2003 to 2013, about 1.1 million deportations resulted from reinstatements of citizens’ court orders from previous deportations.)
A memorial fund was established to show support for the Officers’ families. The Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and its STAR 6 Foundation have set up an official memorial fund for Deputy Oliver through Exchange Bank. A fund was also set up for Michael Davis Jr. with Wells Fargo Bank. For more information visit www.Placer1035Foundation.org.
