KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Following a lengthy manhunt, on Monday evening SWAT teams apprehended a Kelseyville man without injury or gunfire after he shot a rifle hours earlier at a group that included law enforcement officers, Caltrans workers and Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown.

Sheriff Brian Martin said Joshua Caleb “Buck” Brown, 43, surrendered to SWAT team members at 5 p.m., six and a half hours after the shooting incidents.

Buck Brown’s confrontation with the group at 10:30 a.m. Monday occurred as Caltrans workers – accompanied by California Highway Patrol officers – were installing k-rail near an illegal road access that he had made near his property between Cruickshank Road and Cole Creek Road on Highway 29, according to Rob Brown.

Rob Brown said the property also was the focus of a county abatement action, which is one of the reasons he was there.

CHP Officer Korey Reynolds said officers Rob Hearn and Glen Thomas were assigned to the construction zone enforcement detail.

Reynolds said Hearn and Thomas were on scene when Buck Brown approached them on foot – he had come from his nearby residence, according to Rob Brown – and began brandishing a handgun and yelling at the workers and CHP officers.

Buck Brown left, and Hearn and Thomas ordered the Caltrans workers to leave the area. Reynolds said Buck Brown then returned in a pickup.

When Buck Brown got out of the pickup, he was armed with a rifle and began shooting. Reynolds’ report said Buck Brown fired three rounds at the officers and Caltrans workers.

Buck Brown shot not just at that group, but also at arriving sheriff’s deputies and a State Parks officer – one of two who Rob Brown said had responded to the scene – to set up a perimeter.

Officials said some nearby homes were evacuated and Highway 29 was closed in the area until after Buck Brown was captured.

Buck Brown took off on foot into nearby dense brush and trees, and would elude law enforcement for hours, based on reports from the scene.

In addition to sheriff’s deputies, CHP and State Parks, many more agencies responded, including the Lakeport Police Department, Clearlake Police Department, Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, officials reported.

Sheriff Martin said that the helicopters from the CHP and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office that assisted in the search were particularly helpful. With cell service in the area sparse, the copters relayed radio traffic in the remote area where they were looking for Brown.

The hours-long search would finally come to a conclusion on Brown’s own property, Martin said.

Martin said SWAT teams from Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties entered the property to serve a search warrant.

When they arrived they made announcements of their presence, Martin said.

He said that led to Brown emerging, unarmed, from one of the several structures on the property and surrendering.

Martin said Brown was alone on the property on Monday, although he said Brown may have a family member who lives there. The property is under a county abatement order, Martin added.

As part of the search of the property, Martin said deputies found a high-powered rifle that is believed to be the one Brown used in the Monday morning shooting.

On Monday evening, following Brown’s apprehension, Martin said deputies continued going over Brown’s property – which he said is several acres in size and includes a number of structures – in order to look for guns and ammunition.

Brown also at that point was set to be interviewed by detectives. Martin said he was unsure if Brown would give authorities a statement.

Not long afterward, Highway 29 was reopened, Martin said.

“We are very glad this ended without incident and a big thank you to the Kelseyville community for their support and understanding during this long day,” said Reynolds.

Martin said Brown has had limited contacts with law enforcement.

Sheriff’s booking records showed an April 2008 arrest on misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest.

During the past year, two reports were made to the sheriff’s office about Brown making threats against family members and other people. Martin said those cases were sent to the District Attorney’s Office. He did not believe they were prosecuted.

Buck Brown has also become known for the odd display of items on his property near Highway 29, including a wading pool, strange signs, a Confederate flag and a flag with the words, “Don’t tread on me.”

Rob Brown, who has known Buck Brown since he was a high schooler, said in recent years Buck Brown has displayed increasingly strange behavior.

Because of that, the county supervisor had said he had feared that the situation could escalate into extreme violence had Buck Brown decided to try to hold out on his property.

With Buck Brown now in custody, Martin said he believes Caltrans will return to finish the k-rail installation that had appeared to have triggered the confrontation.

In the end, nobody was hurt or injured – not Buck Brown, any of the many law enforcement officers involved in the search, or the people he first shot at, Martin said.

Martin had said earlier in the day that Brown would get to decide how the situation ended.

“I’m glad he decided to end it this way and not another way,” Martin said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.