- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Hopland man accused of shooting at CHP officers booked
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Mendocino County man accused of shooting at law enforcement officers early Saturday morning has been booked into the Lake County Jail.
William Edward Steele, 39, of Hopland, was booked Saturday evening.
District Attorney Don Anderson, whose office is handling the criminal portion of the investigation according to the Lake County Critical Incident Protocol, confirmed to Lake County News that Steele was the suspect in the early morning shooting.
Steele, whose records say he is a firefighter, was booked on charges of attempted murder and felony hit and run resulting in death or injury, with bail set at $200,000.
He is alleged to have shot at California Highway Patrol officers after they attempted to pull him over on suspicion of driving under the influence just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday on Highway 29 near Cruickshank Drive.
Steele, driving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, shot at the officers and fled, later pulling over, making a U-turn and shooting at them again in the area of Live Oak Drive, according to the initial report from the CHP.
A male subject, who was said to have been in the vehicle with Steele, either jumped or fell out of the SUV and was injured, with a REACH air ambulance taking the man to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, official said. There was no report available on his condition late Saturday, although he had been reported to be critical earlier in the day.
Steele eventually abandoned his SUV in the area of Highway 29 and Sand Hill and fled on foot, and was taken into custody by sheriff's Sgt. Don McPherson following a search using K9 teams and a CHP helicopter.
The work of processing the scene continued throughout the day, with a portion of Highway 29 remaining closed as the District Attorney's Office, the CHP Northern Division's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team and CHP shooting team collected evidence.
Anderson said investigators were obtaining a search warrant in order to process Steele's vehicle, which he said would be towed and secured, and then searched Monday or Tuesday.
Some of the evidence techs on Saturday were at Idle Wheels Mobile Home Park on Live Oak Drive, where residents reported two trailers were hit by the gunfire.
The sheriff's office had put out an automated call to Kelseyville residents warning of another suspect being at large, but Anderson said there were concerns about the accuracy of that information, and he did not have information about another wanted suspect.
According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, Steele was arrested this past May on felony charges of assault with a firearm, threats to commit crimes resulting in death or great bodily injury, tear gas possession and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
Steele is due to appear in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday, according to his booking record.
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