Scanner reports indicate an active police pursuit is ongoing reaching speeds over 115 miles/hour on Highway 20 near Buffalo Ranch. The chase is associated with an armed robbery dispatch indicates is associated with two white male adults wearing body armor, carrying assault rifles and driving a black SUV. The nature and location of the robbery at this point is unclear
Law enforcement personnel told the dispatcher, “the suspects pointed fire arms and three separate individuals and threatened to kill and rob them.”
This article is based on initial reports and will be updated below as the situation evolves.
UPDATE 11:10 a.m.
Scanner traffic indicates the suspects have diverted to a dirt road north of highway 20 between mile markers 41 & 41.2. California Highway Patrol has stopped pursuit and Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies have continued.
UPDATE 11:23 a.m.
Scanner traffic is reporting an active shooter and suspects have fled the vehicle and are on foot near 7800 Highway 20. Law enforcement personnel expressed concern that the suspects are still armed and reported hearing gun shots. An ambulance has been dispatched to the scene
UPDATE 11:28 a.m.
Law enforcement personnel told the dispatcher they are searching for two suspects with long guns and full tactical gear. Law enforcement also reported “two victims”, one shot in the chest and one shot in the knee.
UPDATE 11:30 a.m.
Scanner traffic indicates a property owner advised of hearing two gun shots and screaming near the location where the suspects abandoned the vehicle.
UPDATE 11:35 a.m.
Law enforcement at the scene is requesting a reverse 911 call to all residents in a one mile radius of the ongoing pursuit. The suspects were described as a male, bearded 6’2” 200 pounds and an Asian-American Male 6’0”,190 pounds.
UPDATE 11:53 a.m.
Scanner traffic indicates that the SWAT team is responding to patrol the perimeter and an air ambulance will be arriving at approximately 12:06 p.m. to address the wounded.
UPDATE 11:56 a.m.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office just issued the following Nixle alert:
SHELTER IN PLACE ACTIVE INVESTIGATION IN AREA OF 7800 HWY 20 UKIAH TWO OUTSTANDING SUSPECTS ON FOOT IN AREA . IF YOU SEE ANYONE SUSPICIOUS DO NOT APPROACH, CALL 911. SUSPECTS ARE POSSIBLY ARMED AND DANGEROUS
Instructions:
SHELTER IN PLACE ACTIVE INVESTIGATION IN AREA FOR TWO OUTSTANDING SUSPECTS ON FOOT IN AREA IF YOU SEE ANYONE SUSPICIOUS DO NOT APPROACH CALL 911. SUSPECTS ARMED AND DRESSED IN BODY ARMOUR AND CONSIDERED DANGEROUS
UPDATE 12:15 p.m.
According to Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall, this incident began when reports were received of an armed robbery near Covelo involving two armed men wearing body armor. After the robbery, two vehicles were reported fleeing the scene, according to Sheriff Kendall. Sheriff Kendall said the reported injuries involve two kidnapped individuals who were zip-tied and placed in the assailant’s vehicle.
UPDATE 12:20 p.m.
Air Ambulance at scene are actively attempting to attend to victims. One gunshot victim has been lifted out of the area successfully.
UPDATE: 12:50 p.m.
Scanner reports indicate a passing motorist saw an individual matching one of the suspect’s description pass over Highway 20 and climb over a fence.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter is circling the scene overhead assisting in attempts to locate the suspects.
UPDATE 12:50 p.m.
According to scanner traffic, the individual seen by passing motorists was investigated by law enforcement at scene and proved to not be either of the suspects involved with pursuit.
UPDATE 1:13 pm
Scanner traffic indicates that one suspect is now in custody and personnel have sighted the second suspect.
UPDATE 1:18 pm
A neighbor adjacent to the property has reported their dogs have been barking at a 30′ trailer on their property surmising one of the suspects might be hiding out in it.
UPDATE 2:31 p.m.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall told us that the incident is over and all three suspects are accounted for.
He explained the suspects were “decked out like army commandos” and earlier today robbed a vehicle outside of Covelo, kidnapped and zip-tied, all three of the vehicle’s occupants, and than took possession of the victim’s vehicle. He described Mendocino County Sheriff personnel and California Highway Patrol intercepting the two vehicles on Highway 20 near Buffalo Ranch where the pursuit continued on-foot.
UPDATE 3:04 p.m.
There was a misunderstanding. Sheriff Kendall referred us to MCSO Public Information Officer Captain Greg Van Patten who provided more details regarding the current status of the situation. He said the scene remains active and the remaining suspect is armed with a handgun and rifle and currently “isolated in the hills without public risk.” He said helicopters from the California Highway Patrol and Sonoma County Sheriff are currently observing the situation from the air.
With a total of three suspects involved in the incident, Van Patten explained that two of the suspects are at this Buffalo Ranch location with “one outstanding and one in custody.” He said the third suspect was “arrested at a different location on a traffic stop.”
UPDATE 4:07 p.m.
Captain Greg Van Patten told us that at this point, all suspects of the robbery and police pursuit have been arrested. One of the suspects “needs immediate medical attention for what is suspected to be a self-inflicted gunshot would.” He added that, “no law enforcement was shot during this incident.”
UPDATE 4:18 p.m.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office just issued the following Nixle alert:
UPDATE SHELTER IN PLACE HAS BEEN LIFTED ALL SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN LOCATED. SHELTER IN PLACE ACTIVE INVESTIGATION IN AREA OF 7800 HWY 20 UKIAH TWO OUTSTANDING SUSPECTS ON FOOT IN AREA . IF YOU SEE ANYONE SUSPICIOUS DO NOT APPROACH, CALL 911. SUSPECTS ARE POSSIBLY ARMED AND DANGEROUS
150 MPH no way, 115 may be
Hwy 20 East or Hwy 20 West?
It says 115
7800 HIWAY 20 EAST NEAR POTTER VALLEY