Sacramento Deputy Killed During Traffic Stop

Sacramento, CA– Homicide investigators probing the shooting death of a Sacramento County sheriff´s deputy are inspecting a partially submerged van with two bodies inside that matches the description of the suspect´s vehicle.

Thirty-eight-year-old Deputy Jeff Mitchell was shot during a traffic stop around 3:30 Friday morning. Sheriff´s officials say when dispatchers did not hear from the deputy after the stop near the community of Sloughhouse, a second patrol car was sent to investigate and found the wounded officer.

Authorities are searching for a male suspect believed to have fled in a white Chevy van with possible damage to the front end. Authorities received a call about 2pm from someone who spotted a similar van in the Cosumnes River near the border of Amador and El Dorado counties. It is submerged over its wheels in the middle of the river.