Northern California murder suspect killed in Sierrra shootout after 18-hour manhunt

National admin September 21, 2026 0 Comments

Northern California murder suspect killed in Sierrra shootout after 18-hour manhunt

In the darkness early Monday, tactical teams moved through the steep, heavily forested Sierra foothills of Northern California toward an armed murder suspect accused of killing a woman, ramming a patrol car and firing on deputies during a sprawling manhunt that also kept firefighters from battling a nearby wildfire.

The nearly 18-hour search for Derek Robert Spencer, 44, ended about 4 a.m. near Iowa Hill, a remote community northeast of Sacramento, where authorities said he opened fire on deputies after being tracked from the air using infrared technology. Deputies fired back, killing him.

Before the final gunfight, authorities said, Spencer had spent hours hiding behind a berm as tactical teams closed in through the darkness. During the standoff, deputies watched by drone as he started two fires.

The deadly confrontation capped an extraordinary series of events that began Sunday morning and included Spencer allegedly striking a sheriff’s patrol vehicle head-on and firing at deputies and a sheriff’s helicopter. Residents of Iowa Hill were told to lock their doors and stay inside as law enforcement officers searched the surrounding forest.

The manhunt also prevented firefighters from attacking a vegetation fire that broke out Sunday afternoon. Crews remained staged outside the area until Spencer was killed, allowing firefighters to move in Monday morning.

Tactical teams close in on suspect

The final phase of the manhunt began shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday after a California Highway Patrol aircraft equipped with infrared technology located Spencer in a heavily forested area, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

The discovery allowed tactical teams to develop a plan to reach Spencer, but the terrain made the approach difficult.

“Several teams then made their way through steep, difficult terrain in the dark,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a 5 a.m. update. “The approach took several hours.”

When the tactical teams reached Spencer’s location, he fired several shots and a standoff began, authorities said.

During the standoff, deputies monitoring Spencer by drone saw him start two fires, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

At about 4 a.m., Spencer fired again toward deputies from behind a berm where he had taken cover, authorities said. Deputies returned fire, killing him.

The Sheriff’s Office did not immediately say how many deputies fired, how many shots were exchanged or whether any law enforcement officers were injured.

Woman found shot to death during search

Spencer’s death came nearly 18 hours after the events that brought a massive law enforcement response to Iowa Hill, an off-the-grid community in Placer County about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.

The incident began about 10:30 a.m. Sunday when authorities received a report that a man had pointed a gun at people and threatened them in the Iowa Hill area, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Elise Soviar said.

Deputies responded and soon spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle, Soviar said.

“That individual actually rammed our deputy’s patrol car, and it was a severe enough collision that the deputy wasn’t able to chase after the suspect in his vehicle,” Soviar said.

Authorities spotted Spencer again from the air sometime around 2 or 3 p.m. Sunday, she said.

“The suspect was located from the air with our Falcon 30 helicopter, and the suspect actually started shooting at the helicopter,” Soviar said. “The suspect also shot at some of the deputies in the area.”

Later Sunday, tactical teams clearing a home where authorities said Spencer had been discovered an adult woman who had been shot and killed.

“At this point in the investigation, it’s believed Spencer murdered the woman before fleeing into the surrounding forest,” the Sheriff’s Office said Sunday evening.

Authorities had not publicly identified the woman, though she was believed to be a resident of the home. The Sheriff’s Office characterized the killing Monday as a “senseless and random act of violence.”

Remote Sierra community locked down

Iowa Hill is a remote community of about 50 residents in the rugged American River canyon country. Although only about 5 miles from the city of Colfax as the crow flies, reaching the community requires roughly a half-hour drive along a narrow, winding mountain road.

The geography complicated the manhunt as tactical teams searched dense forest and steep terrain for Spencer.

Residents were told Sunday to remain inside and lock their doors, and the road into Iowa Hill was closed.

“Iowa Hill, that whole area, if you live in that area, stay inside, lock your doors, do not let anybody in,” Soviar said Sunday.

The operation eventually drew personnel and equipment from law enforcement agencies across Northern California and Nevada.

“Teams will continue searching throughout the night and will not slow down as we work to locate this armed and very dangerous individual,” the Sheriff’s Office said in an 8 p.m. update.

Spencer arrested three times in September

The violent weekend followed a series of encounters between Spencer and law enforcement in the Sacramento area.

Spencer had been arrested three times earlier in September and released from custody only days before the Iowa Hill manhunt, according to Sacramento County sheriff’s officials and booking records.

Sacramento County deputies first arrested Spencer on Sept. 3 on suspicion of felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and resisting arrest, sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Igoe said. He was arraigned and later released on $10,000 bond, according to Sacramento Superior Court records.

Folsom police subsequently arrested Spencer on suspicion of burglary. Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested him again days later in connection with a stolen vehicle.

Authorities said Monday that Spencer then stole a vehicle and guns Saturday and fired at a moving vehicle in neighboring El Dorado County.

Wildfire burns during manhunt

The danger posed by the manhunt prevented firefighters from attacking a vegetation fire burning near the Mineral Bar Campground on Sunday.

Cal Fire said it had eight engines, four water tenders, four hand crews and two bulldozers staged nearby but could not send crews into the fire while the armed suspect remained at large.

“Fire activity has moderated and is being monitored by remote sensing aircraft at a high elevation,” Cal Fire’s Nevada-Placer-Yuba unit said in an overnight update.

After Spencer was killed, firefighters moved in to attack the blaze, which had grown to an estimated 3 to 5 acres by Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.

“Conditions on the ground are currently challenging,” Cal Fire said. “As daylight arrives, we will continue working the fire and will provide further updates as more information becomes available.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 9:49 AM with the headline “Northern California murder suspect killed in Sierrra shootout after 18-hour manhunt.”