Carson City sheriff's deputy, suspect identified in Friday night officer involved shooting
A transient faces multiple charges including attempted murder, two counts battery with a deadly weapon and two counts assault with a deadly weapon following Friday night's stabbing of a Carson City deputy in which the deputy fired five shots at the suspect, Sheriff Ken Furlong said Monday.
The suspect, Michael Cruz, remains in a local area hospital pending booking in Carson City. His bail was set at $200,000.
The Carson City deputy who was injured is Chris Rivera, a 15-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. He was slashed in the head with a knife during the incident.
Deputy Rivera has spent the majority of his tenure in the patrol division, is a Field Training Officer for newly assigned officers and has extensive experience in SWAT tactics, said Furlong.
Two years ago on August 15, 2015, Deputy Rivera responded to the fatal shooting of Carson City Sheriff's Office Deputy Carl Howell and is credited with pulling Howell out of the shooting zone.
Deputy Rivera was released from the hospital Friday evening where he was treated for “slashing” knife wounds.
On Friday evening Deputy Rivera checked out of his patrol vehicle at the southwest corner of the Carson Nugget in downtown Carson City, informing the dispatcher of a suspicious person.
At 6:12 p.m., the 911 dispatch center received multiple calls of shots being fired in the approximate area. Other Carson City sheriff’s officers converged on the scene and discovered Rivera with severe head wounds and a suspect with multiple gunshot wounds, said Furlong.
Rivera was immediately transported to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center by fellow officers, while other officers and Carson Fire and Paramedics treated and transported the suspect to Care Flight to a hospital. No other injuries were reported.
Since the suspect, Cruz, has not yet been booked at the jail, no photo’s are available. Cruz has a history of varying levels of conflict, most recently being arrested in Douglas County for trespassing on Feb. 22, 2017, and unlawful use of emergency phone on May 6, 2016.
Other previous arrests in Nevada and California included domestic battery, carrying a concealed weapon, making annoying phone calls, taking a bear without a license, disorderly conduct, vandalism and other weapons violations. He remains under tightly guarded security as he recovers from his wounds, said Furlong.
In agreement with local agencies, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has assumed the lead position investigative agency into the event, and is being supported and assisted by the Nevada DPS Investigations Division.
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