On 5-21-97, at approximately 2150 hours, Butte County Sheriff's Dispatch
received a 911 call from an Asian female child who reported to the dispatcher
that her father and mother were outside of the residence, having a dispute,
and the father was chasing the mother with a gun. Deputy Jim Norman and
Sgt. Keith Knotek were dispatched to this domestic dispute, involving a
male and female, and were advised that the male had a weapon.
At approximately
2156 hours, Deputy Norman and Sgt. Knotek arrived and contacted numerous
children inside of the residence. A brief area check outside of the residence
was conducted, as well as an interior check of the residence, for the male
and female that were involved in the dispute. The two deputies were unable
to locate the involved parties. A physical and clothing description was
obtained from the children of the involved parties, and a radio transmission
was broadcast regarding this description for any units in the area to check
for the subjects.
Deputy Randal Jennings
was not assigned to the call but was in the area and began an area check
for the involved parties. At approximately this time a CHP unit in the area
contacted Deputy Jennings and advised him that he had just observed an Asian
male, matching the description, running southbound on 10th Street. Deputy
Jennings drove his patrol unit southbound on 10th Street, in an attempt
to locate the suspect. When Deputy Jennings reached the intersection of
10th Street and Grand Avenue (approximately two blocks from the suspect's
residence) he observed an Asian male matching the description, run into
a field behind a church at that intersection. The field had a growth of
approximately two to three feet of grass and toward the south perimeter
of the field, was a group of trees.
Deputy Jennings
positioned his patrol unit on the south side of the church and advised BCSO
Dispatch that he was in foot pursuit of the subject, running south through
the field. At approximately this time, a secondary BCSO unit, Sgt. Keith
Knotek, arrived at the church parking lot. Sgt. Knotek exited his patrol
vehicle and started running into the field, in an attempt to assist Deputy
Jennings with the foot pursuit. At this point in time, Deputy Jennings had
an approximately 25 to 30 yard lead on Sgt. Knotek. During this point in
the foot pursuit, the suspect turned and opened fire on Deputy Jennings,
striking Deputy Jennings once in the left wrist, once in the upper chest
(just above the ballistic vest), and twice in the ballistic vest. (Upon
receiving the chest wound, it has been determined that Deputy Jennings only
had approximately one to two minutes to live prior to bleeding out). Deputy
Jennings returned 10 rounds of fire, striking the suspect twice in the mid-torso
section, causing irreparable damage to the suspect's liver. (It was later
determined, at autopsy, that the suspect would not have survived these wounds.)
Deputy Jennings continued to crawl toward the suspect, at which point in
time the suspect placed his own handgun against his chest and fired one
round (contact wound) into his chest, instantly killing himself.
Deputy Jennings
was transported via helicopter to Enloe Hospital (Chico, CA) where he was
pronounced deceased at approximately 2306 hours.
(The sequence of
events during the shooting was reconstructed, using Sgt. Knotek's statement,
statements of neighbors in the area, and through crime scene and forensic
evidence.)
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