Deputy slain 26 years to the day after father was killed

One of two deputies killed in a Northern California shooting rampage Friday was cut down 26 years to the day that his father, also a lawman, died in the line of duty.

Placer County Sheriff’s Det. Michael David Davis Jr., 42, was named after his father, a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy. The father was killed in a helicopter accident while working on a drug investigation.

Davis and another deputy were killed in the course of a six-hour shooting rampage that wounded two other people.

Placer County officials announced Saturday that a procession of police and others will escort Davis’ body to a local mortuary Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Marquez, 34, of Salt Lake City was taken into custody by a SWAT team from a home in Auburn in Placer County, hours after the initial shooting occurred 30 miles away in a strip mall in Sacramento, said Placer County sheriff’s spokeswoman Dena Erwin.

He expected to face murder and attempted murder charges.

“This guy was on a one-man crime spree today. He has no idea of the damage he did,” she said.

The other fatality was Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver, a 15-year veteran of the department. Oliver had approached a man and a woman in a vehicle in a Motel 6 parking lot Friday morning when the man, believed to be Marquez, fired several shots at short range with an assault rifle, striking Oliver in the forehead, authorities said.

Marquez is also accused of injuring another officer and a civilian in an ensuing chaotic rampage of carjackings and shootings.

“It was incredibly dangerous,” said Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. “A perfect storm.”

After Oliver was shot, authorities said, Marquez attempted to carjack a motorist in a nearby Sacramento neighborhood. The driver fought back and was shot in the head, Jones said. The man, whose name was not released, was rushed into surgery and was listed as stable.

Marquez is suspected of then carjacking a red Ford pickup from Jose Cruz, who was gardening outside a client’s house in Sacramento. Cruz told the Sacramento Bee that a man in a white Ford Mustang convertible told him he needed a favor: “I need your keys,” the man said. “Hurry up, because they’re chasing me.” Cruz said the man pointed a gun at him and had a bloody shirt wrapped around his other arm.

Marquez and the woman drove to neighboring Placer County, about 30 miles north of Sacramento, authorities said. Two Placer County sheriff’s officers approached the truck in the 2000 block of Belmont Drive. “That’s when the guy fired,” Erwin said.

The two officers were struck and taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where Michael David Davis Jr. died. The other deputy, Jeff Davis, a 17-year veteran, was shot in the arm; he was released after treatment.

Marquez fled into a nearby rugged area and barricaded himself inside a home, Erwin said. The homeowner said officers used tear gas to drive the suspect from the basement. The woman accompanying Marquez stayed in the truck and was taken into custody; authorities said she had a handgun in her purse.

Authorities said they have not determined a motive for the attacks.

Gov. Jerry Brown released a statement saying: “The brutal murders of Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver and Sheriff’s Detective Michael Davis are a tragic reminder of the sacrifices we demand of our peace officers and the incredible courage they display as they protect our communities. Anne and I extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of these two brave public servants. We also are mindful of the officer and bystanders who were wounded or terrorized by today’s terrible events.”

@AdolfoFlores3