Details Emerge In Friday’s Shooting

Angels Camp, CA — More details have emerged in the officer involved shooting death of Santa Clara murder suspect James Patrick Krauth.

Santa Clara officials say 25-year-old Krauth was a person of interest in the death of a Santa Clara woman whose name has not yet been released.

After a call from Santa Clara officials earlier last week, officers tracked down Krauth at New Melones Reservoir Friday evening. As officers tried to apprehend the suspect, Krauth hit a sheriff´s deputy with his car, sending him to the hospital for eight hours.

Calaveras County Sheriff Dennis Downum says shots were fired from both an Angels Camp Police Officer and a Sheriff´s Deputy. The deputy had been with the Sheriff´s Department for nine weeks.

After being shot, Krauth then crashed his vehicle into a tree.

Downum says two deputies on are administrative leave. The names of all the officers involved are expected to be released later today.

This is the second officer involved shooting in Calaveras this year.

The first happened four months ago at the Mokelumne Fish Hatchery when Deputy Manuel Garcia shot and killed 20-year-old Victoriano Gauna Jr. of Lockeford. Garcia was cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

Prior to that, Downum says there hadn´t been an officer involved shooting in more than 100 years. He says our area appears to be a place for the bad guys to conduct business or to hide out.

Written by Vanessa Turner.