2 Butte County Deputies, Suspect Found Dead

Two Butte County sheriff’s deputies who were involved in a gun battle at a remote mountain cabin were found dead, along with the suspected gunman.

The gunman, Richard Gerald Bracklow, 46, had kept a cache of weapons in the cabin and was described by neighbors as a survivalist.

The slain sheriff’s deputies were identified as Lt. Leonard Estes, 61, a 30-year veteran of the force, and Deputy William Hunter, 26, who joined the department in 1998.

The incident began about 5 p.m. Thursday when a man called the Sheriff’s Department and said his neighbor had threatened him, said Butte County Sheriff Scott Mackenzie.

Hunter was dispatched to the scene near the small town of Stirling City, about 110 miles north of Sacramento. While he was en route, the caller told the dispatcher that the neighbor had returned to his home and stolen a firearm, Mackenzie said.

When Hunter learned the man was armed, he requested a backup officer and Estes was sent. Hunter arrived at 5:42 p.m. and Estes about 20 minutes later.

“When dispatch was unable to contact the deputies, the California Highway Patrol was requested to respond to the area,” Mackenzie said. “When CHP officers arrived, they found both Lt. Estes’ and Deputy Hunter’s vehicles parked in front of a small cabin.”

Officers at the scene knew Bracklow was heavily armed. The sheriff’s special incident response team and hostage negotiation team was summoned.

Snipers were deployed around the property, and a CHP helicopter flew above the cabin. The crew employed infrared sensors, but detected no heat source inside. Officers finally fired tear gas into the cabin before storming it and discovering the three bodies inside.

Sheriff Mackenzie has asked the California Department of Justice to handle the investigation.

Investigators have not determined if Bracklow committed suicide or was killed in the shootout.

“There was a gun battle that ensued and details are extremely sketchy at this time,” Mackenzie said.

Neighbors told investigators that Bracklow was a gun enthusiast who was often seen armed.

“He lived in that cabin for about three years,” said Stirling City resident Hope Kinne. “He kept to himself and only came into town occasionally to buy food.”

Bracklow’s cabin is in eastern Butte County, a rugged area of forests and mountain lakes. Stirling City was once a thriving lumber mill town. There are now only 321 residents, many of whom are retired.

“The mill closed in the ‘50s,” Kinne said. “There’s still logging around here, but now they take the logs to bigger cities that still have mills.”

There had not been a killing in the area in many years, Kinne said, and residents are stunned by the shootings.

“I can’t remember the last murder, and I’ve lived around here for about 25 years,” Kinne said. “It’s a very peaceful place to live--until now. People say [Bracklow] just went off.”

Associated Press was used in compiling this story.