Exclusive: County man aids deputy in shooting incident

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) released preliminary information regarding a deputy-involved shooting which took place on June 19.

The officer was injured while the suspect was shot and killed by the deputy after officials said he tasered her with her department issued electro-shock weapon and attempted to take her service weapon. A citizen driving by stepped in to assist law enforcement.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating.

The incident began to unfold just before 4:40 p.m. on Friday, June 19, as dispatchers received a call reporting a residential burglary in progress in the area of Avenue 12 and Road 35.

About a minute later, MCSO said, a second call reported a man carrying a crowbar and charging at passing vehicles.

A sheriff’s deputy arrived in the area and contacted the suspect who was combative.

During a struggle, officials said, the suspect took control of the deputy’s department-issued taser and fired it at her, striking the deputy with the probes.

As the struggle continued, multiple citizens called 911 reporting the deputy and suspect were fighting on the ground, officials said, adding several community members intervened to assist and callers reported the suspect was attempting to gain control of the deputy’s firearm.

Vital assistance

MCSO on June 24 confirmed to the Gazette county resident Robert Suderman, 44, is credited with critical support of the deputy during the conflict.

Suderman and his wife, Elica, were just a couple of miles from home after work when they came across the scene with vehicles stopped in the road. Robert is a mechanic for United Rentals and the couple was planning to head to their cabin up in the Beasore area of Madera County for the weekend.

Suderman noticed a truck was stopped in the street but he wasn’t initially alarmed, thinking it was a traffic situation.

“I saw the gentleman running in the road and at first thought maybe a tire had blown on the semi. I didn’t see the crowbar but I noticed the deputy pulled in at an angle. We were going around to leave and I thought the deputy had the suspect detained when my wife said, ‘He’s fighting her, you need to help, she’s in trouble.’ I heard the deputy scream when I pulled over and opened the door.”

Suderman said he didn’t see the suspect taser the deputy but that’s what was happening when he heard her scream.

As the struggle continued, multiple callers reported the suspect and deputy fighting on the ground, with the suspect attempting to take the deputy’s firearm.

It’s notable that Suderman is the son of the late Madera policeman Russell Suderman who served 22 years for that department and grandson of California Highway Patrol officer Elner Dean Ussery.

“I know you’re not supposed to intervene with law enforcement. But I ran to her and I was a step from him when he turned around to look at me and my hand met his jaw and I hit that guy square in the mouth. He fell to the ground.”

At that point, Suderman said, the deputy pulled her service pistol and was yelling for him to get the barbs out of her left arm and shoulder.

“She got nailed with that taser — she was in pain from the time I heard her scream and I didn’t think, I just went and knew if I got there quick enough I could help.”

With the suspect on the ground, the deputy radioed for backup. Some citizens at this point were standing nearby and some were driving by with cell phones taking pictures.

“We could hear the sirens coming and the guy tried to get back up. I was no more than five feet away the whole time.”

According to the MCSO press release and “despite the efforts of the deputy and assisting citizens, the suspect continued to resist.”

At approximately 4:56 p.m., officials said, the deputy discharged her service weapon, striking the suspect. Deputies, CAL FIRE and EMS personnel immediately provided lifesaving measures.

The suspect died at the scene. He was subsequently identified as Gregory Anguiano, 42.

All that matters

The deputy sustained minor injuries and was treated by EMS.

Suderman, his wife and other witnesses remained on scene to protect the crime scene and allow for interviews with law enforcement. Suderman covered the single shell casing with a helmet as backup approached the crime scene.

“All I cared about is that the deputy is OK — that’s all that matters to me,” he said.

At about 10 p.m., the DOJ was knocking on Suderman’s door at home to take his statement. They had already been on scene where the attack and subsequent shooting occurred. By 11 p.m. the Sudermans finally had a chance to decompress from a day that took an extraordinary turn in just a few minutes.

“It took a while to get to sleep,” Suderman said, adding that he usually doesn’t drink alcohol but made an understandable exception and had some beer.

“It shook me up.”

The Sudermans planned to return to the Beasore cabin Suderman’s CHP grandfather purchased in 1965 as soon as possible to make up for the delay.

MCSO said the investigation remains active and is being conducted in accordance with established protocols for deputy-involved shootings. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

The sheriff’s office said Anguiano had a long criminal history including burglary, domestic violence and resisting arrest. “During the incident on June 19, a Madera County Sheriff’s deputy was assaulted and the suspect took and used the deputy’s department issued taser against her and attempted to take her firearm,” according to a department statement.

“The facts and circumstances of the incident will be thoroughly reviewed as part of the DOJ’s independent investigation.”

Under California law, the DOJ is required to conduct an independent investigation whenever an officer-involved shooting results in a death and the decedent was not in possession of a deadly weapon at the time of the incident.

Authorities shared this is a standard legally mandated step under Assembly Bill 1506 whenever these criteria are met and is not, by itself, an indication of wrongdoing by the deputy.

During the investigation, MCSO said deputies located Gregory Anguiano’s Ford Escape west of Gaston Road near an orchard and recovered his cell phone near Avenue 12 and Gaston Road.

In a press conference on July 23, Sheriff Tyson Pogue said authorities were seeking the whereabouts of the suspect’s wife. They said she was unaccounted for and they were concerned for her safety.

Later on, authorities confirmed the spouse had been located and was safe.

Per standard protocol under these circumstances the identity of the deputy involved in the June 19 officer-involved shooting has not been publicly released by the sheriff’s office.

“We are grateful for the citizens who acted courageously to assist our deputy during an extremely dangerous and rapidly evolving situation,” said Pogue in the official statement.

Pogue echoed this sentiment in the June 23 televised press conference and in a personal call he made to Suderman on June 24.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 675-7770. Anonymous tips may be submitted through Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867), by texting “Tip MaderaSO” to 888777, or through the Madera Sheriff mobile app.