SACRAMENTO, Calif. — "This was a firefight and an extensive one," said Sacramento County Sheriffs Detective Tony Turnbull.
Those are the words coming from the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department following Monday deadly encounter between two sheriff's deputies and suspect Anton Lemon Moore.
"From the time the officers got in there and contacted the suspect in the front of the store, there was maybe 10 seconds before it all transpired," said Turnbull.
Investigators say the call came into the department about 1:30 p.m. as a disturbance at the Folsom Boulevard Pep Boys in Rancho Cordova. They say the suspect came in complaining about customer service.
"And at that time he started to escalate. He started to threaten employees there," said Turnbull.
Deputy Mark Stasyuk and partner Deputy Julie Robertson arrived and tried to talk with the suspect. Sheriff Scott Jones says the suspect then fled behind a counter, pulled a gun and immediately opened fire. A clerk was struck in the back first. Then Stasyuk was shot in the back as well.
"He continued out here into the parking lot to try and get a place of cover where he could open fire. The suspect exited the building instead of taking the opportunity to flee in either direction. He followed Deputy Stasyuk into the parking lot, continuing to fire at his back and struck him one time in the back of the head," said Jones.
Then, Jones said a gunbattle ensued between the suspect and Robertson in the front glass area of the store. Jones said instead of trying to get away, the suspect came back through a side entrance service area door to open fire at Robertson again.
"And as soon as he started firing down this hallway, she was able to return fire striking the suspect," said Jones.
In just a 2-3 minute span, Stasyuk was gunned down and later died. Robertson, 28, was shot in the arm and survived. A clerk survived, too. The suspect was shot twice and remains hospitalized with injuries, but is expected to be charged soon.
The sheriff says the suspect was not legally in possession of the firearm used. And, despite his department's deep loss, Jones says Robertson was heroic in her actions that fateful day.
"There were several options Deputy Robertson had to flee to a place of personal safety or cover, yet the clerks in the Pep Boys were still here and she chose to place herself in a place of danger between the suspect and those clerks to keep them as safe as she possibly could," said Jones.
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