Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Habitat for Humanity volunteers raise walls and hope for Medford family ... Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Habitat for Humanity volunteers raise walls and hope for Medford family ... Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... SHOOTING Officers kill California murder suspect on I-5 Man suspected in death of Yreka woman Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Jul 2, 2015 at 5:45 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Jul 2, 2015 at 5:45 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Josephine County DA clears officers in I-5 shooting • Northbound I-5 near Sunny Valley closed after shooting involving police... » Social News Federal and state law enforcement officers shot and killed the 32-year-old suspect in a California homicide Wednesday following a pursuit that ended on Interstate 5 near Sunny Valley. Yreka, Calif., police said Kaleb Landon was the prime suspect in the slaying of Erika Lemere, 34, who was found dead Wednesday in the garage of her Yreka home when officers investigated a report of a homicide victim. After Landon, who lived with her, was identified as a suspect, police sought a search warrant for the residence and a warrant for Landon's arrest. Cause of death had yet to be determined, but she was not shot, said Yreka police Chief Brian Bowles. Oregon State Police reported that after local investigators received information about Landon's wanted status, detectives spotted him in a moving vehicle around 6:16 p.m. in the area of Sunny Valley, about 20 miles north of Grants Pass. He reportedly had family in the area. Police said Landon took off when investigators attempted to stop the vehicle, leading them on a pursuit onto I-5 that ended when he crashed into another vehicle about a mile north of Exit 71. Landon was driving a blue 1998 Ford Mustang that he had tried to paint a different color. Police did not identify the vehicle Landon crashed into or whether anyone in that vehicle was injured. "It's a very tragic incident," Bowles said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and officers involved." Police said Landon, who was armed, engaged in a brief standoff with approaching officers before six of them fired. OSP identified the troopers involved as patrol Sgt. Brandon Boice, Trooper Ryan Neuenschwander, Detective Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Fitzgerald and Detective Brent Sitowski. Two agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also fired on Landon, but their names are being withheld during the investigation per ATF policy. An ATF agent was involved in a shooting in Medford in March 2014 when two Idaho fugitives rammed his unmarked vehicle during a pursuit. They were injured but survived. None of the officers involved in Wednesday's shooting was injured, according to OSP. The Oregon Department of Transportation shut down northbound traffic near Exit 71 until almost 2 a.m. Thursday to preserve evidence for detectives, police said. Cars were put on a detour over narrow mountain roads, but trucks pulled over and parked. The Josephine County District Attorney's Office is leading the shooting investigation, which includes the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, the Medford Police Department, OSP's Criminal Investigations Division and the OSP Forensic Services Division. Yreka police reported California investigators went to the scene to confirm Landon's identity. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Thomas Moriarty at [email protected] or 541-776-4471. The Associated Press contributed to this story. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Jul 2, 2015 at 5:45 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501