May 10, 2018

SEARCH WARRANT LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF ELABORATE ILLEGAL COMMERCIAL MARIJUANA GROW ON CHEROKEE ROAD IN OROVILLE

Oroville, Ca-- On May 8th, 2018 members of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Special Enforcement Unit along with Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF) Agents, served a search warrant in the 2800 block of Cherokee Road, in Oroville.

Upon service of the search warrant, members of law enforcement witnessed an Asian male adult flee out the back of the residence and into the nearby brush in an effort to avoid law enforcement contact. Members of law enforcement were able to locate the subject, identified as Yu Zheng, age 39 of Pennsylvania. Zheng was found hiding in a tree line about 100 yards from the residence and was taken into custody without incident.

A search of the property revealed an elaborate illegal commercial indoor marijuana grow, outdoor marijuana plants, and marijuana plants growing in a large greenhouse. A total of 2,165 marijuana plants were eradicated from the illegal commercial growing sites.

Zheng was arrested at the scene for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, and felony maintaining a residence for drug sales. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
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For more information, please contact
BCSO Community Relations Unit
530.871.9440

May 1, 2018
BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPUTY INITIATES TRAFFIC STOP ON RECKLESS DRIVER ENDING IN TRAFFIC COLLISION
Oroville, Ca—At 9:39 AM on May 1, 2018, a BCSO Deputy witnessed a suspect, in a Volkswagen Jetta, driving recklessly and crossing over a double yellow line in an effort to pass vehicles in the area of Ophir Road and Baggett Marysville Road, in Oroville.
The Deputy initiated a traffic stop on the suspect; however, the suspect refused to comply and accelerated towards Feather River Boulevard. The Deputy initiated a pursuit, following the suspect onto Feather River Boulevard. The suspect continued driving recklessly at speeds reaching 90 miles per hour.
As soon as the suspect reached Feather River Boulevard and Cal Oak Road, a BCSO Supervisor advised to terminate the pursuit in the interest of public safety. It is common practice for a BCSO Supervisor to monitor a pursuit on the radio and advise to terminate the pursuit when it appears that the danger to continue the pursuit outweighs the need to apprehend the suspect.
The Deputy began decelerating and was in the process of terminating the pursuit when the suspect ran a red light at Oro Dam Boulevard and struck a Chevrolet Sedan with two occupants. The force of the collision caused the suspect’s vehicle to collide with a large tow truck that was facing southbound in the intersection. The tow truck driver sustained minor injuries.
The suspect and both occupants of the Chevrolet Sedan suffered injuries and were transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The accident is being investigated by California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The suspect has been identified as Chris Smith, age 27, from Oroville. Smith was on Post Release Community Supervision for Vehicle Theft and has a Felony Warrant for his arrest for Vehicle Theft and Felony Evading. CHP advised they have a lengthy history of vehicle theft and pursuits with Smith. This year alone, Smith has fled from CHP officers on three occasions. Smith has been charged with Reckless Driving, Felony Evading, Violation of Post Release Community Supervision, and Possession of Burglary Tools. Further charges for Driving Under the Influence may be pending.
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For more information, please contact
BCSO Community Relations Unit
530.871.9440

April 27, 2018

VEHICLE ASSAULT ON DEPUTY LEADS TO DEPUTY INVOLVED SHOOTING

Oroville, Ca--On 04-26-2018 at approximately 6:30 PM the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) received a 9-1-1 call from a residence in the 2100 block of Stanley Dr. in Palermo. The caller reported an unknown female was trespassing on the property and when asked to leave she refused and made threats to shoot the residents of the property. The caller provided a description of the female and the vehicle in which she arrived.

BCSO deputies Charles Lair and Mary Barker were dispatched to the call. When they arrived they found the female in the front yard and her vehicle parked in the driveway. As deputies approached the female, she had her hands behind her back, refusing directives from Deputy Lair to stop and show her hands. Based upon the threats to shoot the residents of the property, the deputies had concerns that the female was armed with a firearm.

Continuing to ignore Deputy Lair’s commands to show him her hands, the female walked to her vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. She quickly started the vehicle, put it into reverse and accelerated backwards at a high rate of speed towards Deputy Lair. As the vehicle came within approximately six feet of Deputy Lair, he attempted to move out of its path; however, the female appeared to steer the vehicle toward Deputy Lair’s location. Fearing he was in imminent danger of being run over by the vehicle, Deputy Lair fired seven shots from his handgun into the vehicle. At about the same time, Deputy Barker who was standing nearby fired six shots from her handgun into the vehicle, as she too was concerned that Deputy Lair was in imminent danger of being struck by the vehicle. Both deputies ceased firing when the vehicle slowed and ultimately came to a stop. The preliminary investigation reveals that only 15 to 20 seconds elapsed between the time the deputies arrived and the shooting occurred.

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Deputies notified BCSO dispatch that shots were fired, requested medical aid and immediately began life saving efforts. Medical personnel responded and continued lifesaving efforts; however, the female died at the scene.

Both deputies were equipped with Body Worn Cameras; however, due to how rapidly the situation evolved they did not activate them until after the shooting occurred. The shooting was witnessed by three residents of the property and their statements corroborate the accounts of the deputies, each expressing a belief that Deputy Lair was in imminent danger of being run over by the vehicle when the shots were fired.

The female has been identified as Myra Lisa Micalizio, age 56, from Palermo. BCSO only had one prior contact with Micalizio in which she reported being the victim of a battery. An autopsy is pending and will be conducted by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

Deputy Lair, age 41, is a 16 year veteran of BCSO and Deputy Barker, age 27, is a 2 year veteran of BCSO. Throughout the process of the investigation, Deputies Lair and Barker will be reassigned from field operations to administrative duties pending a meeting with the department’s psychologist.

The Butte County Officer Involved Shooting and Critical Incident Protocol Team was activated to investigate this deputy involved shooting. The Protocol Team is comprised of detectives and investigators from state and local agencies throughout Butte County. The team works closely with the Butte County District Attorney’s Office to conduct complete, thorough and independent investigations in cases of this nature. Further details related to this matter will be released by the Butte County District Att

April 7, 2018
BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ASSISTS OROVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH HOSTAGE SITUATION RESULTING IN A DEPUTY INVOLVED SHOOTING
Oroville, CA—On April 7th, 2018, Oroville Police Department (OPD) received a 9-1-1 call at 3:09AM from a resident in the 700 block of Pomona Avenue, in Oroville, reporting shots being fired within a neighboring residence. OPD responded to the residence, officers couldn’t access the front door to the residence due to a locked patio gate. Officers attempted to contact the residents, however the residents did not respond. Without further information anyone in the residence was in distress, OPD officers left the scene.
At 3:35AM, OPD received another call from the original caller, who reported hearing the smoke alarm going off in the neighboring residence. OPD responded again, upon arrival officers reported that all was quiet and there was no response from the residents inside. OPD again left the scene, but remained in the general area.
At 4:24AM, OPD received a third call from the original caller, reporting he had heard more shots from within the neighboring residence. OPD returned to the scene, but were still unable to make contact with the residents, and left the scene.
At 5:41AM, OPD received a 9-1-1 call from a female, reporting she had received a text message from her sister, who was inside the residence in question, asking her to come get her two young children who were also inside the residence. The reporting party also said she had been in telephone contact with the sister who reported there was a gun being pointed at her. OPD responded back to the scene, and observed a bullet hole through the window located next to the front door, which had not previously been there.

OPD then requested assistance from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).
BCSO Deputies along with the BCSO Crisis Intervention Team and BCSO SWAT Team responded to the scene. OPD Officers and BCSO SWAT Team set up a perimeter around the residence and were formulating a plan to make contact with the people inside the residence and determine what was going on.
At 7:54AM, a male subject was seen exiting the residence with a pistol in hand. At 7:55AM the subject began shooting multiple shots at law enforcement, who were in front of the residence located in a densely populated neighborhood.
A BCSO patrol vehicle, behind which 3 law enforcement officers had taken cover, was struck by one round fired by the subject. Preliminary investigation has revealed multiple other rounds were found throughout the neighborhood. A BCSO Sergeant fired a single shot at the subject striking him. Medical personnel, who had staged nearby, immediately began life saving efforts on the downed subject and transported him to Oroville Hospital, where he later died.
The subject has been identified as Larry Siordia, age 33, from Oroville.
The Butte County Officer Involved Shooting and Critical Incident Protocol Team has been activated to investigate this deputy involved shooting. The Protocol Team is comprised of detectives and investigators from state and local agencies throughout Butte County. The team works closely with the Butte County District Attorney’s Office to conduct complete, thorough and independent investigations in cases of this nature. Further details related to this matter will be released by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.
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For more information, please contact
BCSO Community Relations Unit
530.871.9440

April 5, 2018

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPUTIES SEARCH FOR SUSPECT IN OROVILLE

Oroville, CA—At approximately 3:30PM on April 5, 2018, Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Deputies attempted a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle. During the traffic stop, the suspect fled on foot. The suspect was carrying a black colored semi-automatic pistol. Deputies searched the area on foot with a K9, and by air with the BCSO helicopter, but have been unable to locate the suspect.

The suspect has been identified as George Wright, age 19, from Oroville. Wright is wanted on Felony warrants and is currently on Felony probation. As a result of the traffic stop, Wright is wanted for 11377(a) H&S (possession of a controlled substance), 11364 H&S (paraphernalia), 29800 PC (prohibited person in possession of a firearm), 30305 PC (prohibited person possessing ammo), 466 PC (possession of burglary tools), 31360 PC (prohibited person in possession of a ballistic vest), and 11370.1 H&S (possession of a loaded firearm while possessing a controlled substance).