California gunman arrested 3 times in weeks before killing elderly Placer County worker
Derek Spencer, 44, was arrested three times in September before shooting dead former DA's office employee Cheryl Macy. Police killed him after a two-hour standoff Monday.
Three arrests, three releases — then a killing in Northern California
Derek Spencer, 44, had been arrested three times in the span of just over two weeks before he shot and killed a retired Placer County District Attorney's Office employee, NY Post Metro reports. Law enforcement ultimately shot him dead early Monday morning following a prolonged standoff.
Spencer's first arrest came on Sept. 3, when the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office detained him on charges of felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon on a sheriff's deputy, and resisting arrest. Eleven days later, authorities in Folsom County arrested him on a burglary charge. On Sept. 16, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office picked him up again — this time for vehicle theft.
Despite the accumulating charges, Spencer was released on bond on Sept. 11 and again on Sept. 17. For the third arrest, a judge granted him a pre-arraignment release, according to KCRA.
The release proved fatal for Cheryl Macy, a longtime county employee who had worked for the Placer County District Attorney's Office from 2006 to 2020. Law enforcement officials believe Spencer killed Macy over the weekend as he was fleeing police following additional crimes, including pointing a firearm at people in Placer County. Authorities believe she was not known to Spencer.
Police first encountered Spencer last Sunday morning. He rammed a police vehicle and escaped. Later that same day, officers located him again — this time as he fired at a police helicopter and deputies on the ground. He evaded capture a second time.
Early Monday morning, a helicopter using infrared technology tracked him down. As officers closed in, Spencer opened fire, triggering a shootout that lasted more than two hours. Police shot him dead at approximately 4:30 a.m., ending the crime spree.
A helicopter was required to recover his body because Spencer had set multiple fires in the surrounding area. Officials suspect he ignited the Mineral Fire, which had burned 18 acres with 20% containment as of Tuesday morning.
The Placer County District Attorney's Office mourned Macy in a written statement. "She was a valued colleague, a friend, and a cherished member of our DA family," the office said. "The loss of Cheryl is devastating to our office and to the entire community. Our hearts are with her family, and everyone who knew and loved her. We ask that their privacy be respected."
Macy's granddaughter, Addison, told KCRA she would carry a specific memory of her grandmother with her. "I used to just give her, like, a hug and squeeze it tight and she used to tell me, 'Nope, you have to squeeze me three times,'" she said. "When you squeeze three times, it meant I love you — and she was the only person who's ever done that and told me that."
Neighbors expressed anger that Spencer had not remained in custody before the attack. "She didn't need to die like that. There's no reason for it, you know?" one neighbor of Macy's told KCRA.
Source: NY Post Metro