UPDATE: Suspect dead, Walmart reopened, video emerges, after “wild” Redding crime spree
UPDATED: Saturday, Dec. 26, 12:30 P.M., With additional information regarding Walmart reopening and other details.
Originally Published: Friday, Dec. 25, 5:30 p.m.
REDDING, Calif. — Authorities say a wild and chaotic crime spree, during which a woman shot one person then carjacked and shot at another victim, before crashing into and driving through a Redding Walmart- destroying both main entrances and leaving a wake of destruction inside the store in the process – led to a deadly officer-involved shooting on Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24.
Later, while officers worked at the scene of the fatal shooting in the area of Old Alturas Road and Browning Street, an allegedly drunk driver plowed into a marked patrol vehicle. Nobody was injured in the crash and the driver was later arrested for DUI.
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The Christmas Eve crime spree began around 7 p.m., when City of Redding police officers responded reports of a shooting in the 2500 block of Irwin Road, Redding Police Lieutenant Levi Solada later said of the multiple violent incidents that led to the deadly officer-involved shooting.
When officers arrived in the area they learned a man had already been rushed to a local hospital with two gun shot wounds.
“This victim is currently in the hospital and is expected to survive his injuries,” said Solada.
Officials work at the scene of a fatal officer involved shooting that left a knife-wielding woman dead. The shooting happened after the suspect shot one victim, carjacked and shot at another, and then drove the victim’s carjacked vehicle into, through, and then back out of a Redding Walmart. RPD photo
As their investigation was getting underway, officers learned that the female shooter had contacted SHASCOM and made statements about being involved with the Irwin Road shooting, “and advised she was going to shoot additional people,” according to the Lieutenant.
“As this was still unfolding, officers received a report of an armed carjacking that just occurred at the Dominos Pizza on Cypress Avenue,” Solada explained.
The carjacking victim told officers they were approached by a woman who was armed with a handgun and that a struggle had ensued between the armed suspect and victim.
“During the struggle, the victim was trying to wrestle the firearm out of the suspect’s hand,” Solada continued; adding, “As this was happening, the firearm discharged and did not strike anyone.”
After that shooting, the suspect was able to steal the victim’s car and fled the Dominos parking lot.
A description of the vehicle was broadcast to all law enforcement agencies in the area and officials from multiple surrounding agencies began searching for the carjacked vehicle and female suspect.
A short time later, SHASCOM emergency dispatchers began receiving multiple calls reporting that a vehicle had just crashed through the front doors of the Walmart on Dana Drive before driving through the store and crashing back out through a second set of doors on the other end of the business.
“The vehicle drove through the front doors of Walmart and around the cashiers area before exiting the store,” Solada described.
The vehicle, which matched the description of the carjacking victim’s vehicle, had already fled Walmart prior to officers arrival.
Both sets of sliding doors outside both main entrances to the Redding Walmart were destroyed by a woman who first shot one victim, then carjacked another, before crashing into and driving through the store. She was later fatally shot by a Redding police officer. KRCR images
As the hunt for the woman continued and expanded, a Redding PD officer located the carjacked vehicle parked and unoccupied at the rear of an apartment complex in the area of Old Alturas Road and Browning Street.
As multiple officers responded to the area to continue their search for the woman an officer spotted her walking in the area.
The female suspect, who was armed with two large knifes, immediately fled from the officer on foot, running northbound on Browning Street with the officer in hot pursuit.
The female suspect was holding one knife in each hand as she was running, according to Solada; who said. “At one point, the female suspect approached a motorist who was driving southbound on Browning Street.”
Fearing the suspect intended to carjack another vehicle, the officer raced toward the suspect, who “turned around and began advancing toward the police officer while still armed with the two knives,” Solada described.
Video footage obtained by KRCR News Channel 7 showed multiple officers and a K9 running toward the scene as the first officer and knife-wielding woman squared off near a white pickup truck.
The officer can be heard yelling at the woman, telling her to “get on the ground” and drop her weapons, which she refused to do. Moments later, as the woman advanced toward the officer with the two knives, he can be seen firing three rounds at her; at which time she fell to the ground.
“The armed suspect was in very close proximity to the officer …and… the officer discharged his duty handgun” shooting the woman, according to the Lieutenant.
Officers at the scene immediately began providing the suspect medical aid and she was eventually transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
The name of the suspect has not been released, pending further investigation and notification of the woman’s family.
In the first image captured as a screen shot from footage obtained by KRCR News Channel 7, an officer on the right can be seen running toward the armed suspect on the left, after she approached a pickup truck while armed with two knives. In the second image, the woman can be seen advancing on the officer as he backs away from her while yelling at her to drop the weapons and get on the ground. When the knife-wielding woman continued advancing toward the officer he fired three rounds, fatally striking her. KRCR images
Detectives from the Shasta County Sherriff’s Office along with Investigators from the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office responded to assist with the officer-involved shooting investigation.
“As officers were on scene blocking the roadway at Browning Street and Friendly Road, a motorist crashed into a marked Redding police car. The driver was contacted and determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol,” Solada explained; adding that nobody was injured in the crash.
California Highway Patrol responded and handled the collision and arrest of the intoxicated motorist, according to Solada.
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“It was wild, like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” witness Tanya Riddenhouse, who was leaving the Walmart with her two children when the car crashed through the businesses front doors, later told SCNS.
“I mean, you see stuff like that in movies, but never expect to see something so crazy in person,” Riddenhouse continued; adding, “I’m just thankful me and my babies weren’t injured or killed.”
“I never would have believed this,” another unidentified woman said from outside the heavily-damaged Walmart as she surveyed the wake of destruction left by the suspect. “I swear to God, if someone would have told me I never would have believed it.”
Although the Walmart was closed Christmas day, a manager told RCNS Saturday morning that the store was still being repaired, but was reopened for business.
Citing the early nature of this investigation, the name of the officer involved in the shooting has not been released, and Redding PD’s investigation is active and ongoing, according to Solada.
Anyone who may have witnessed any of these events is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department’s Investigations Division at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 20R083853 and can remain anonymous.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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