By Darrell Smith
The Sacramento Bee
PENRYN, Calif. — A barricaded woman who shot and wounded a Placer County sheriff’s K9 during a prolonged armed standoff with deputies in Penryn was wounded in an exchange of gunfire and taken to a hospital Friday, sheriff’s officials said.
The sheriff’s K-9, 9-year-old Sonic, was recovering at a Loomis veterinary hospital. The black Belgian Malinois, who joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2018, was shot in the leg about 7 a.m. Friday , deputies said in a statement.
“We ask our community to join us in praying for our K9 officer and his handler,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Deputies returned fire, wounding 30-year-old Linda Mullennix and ending the standoff that began late Thursday. Mullennix was taken to a hospital, where she was in stable condition, sheriff’s officials said. No deputies were wounded.
The confrontation at Mullennix’s Quarry Lane home began late Thursday when sheriff’s detectives attempted to serve a warrant for her arrest on suspicion of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, along with a court-issued eviction notice ordering her to leave the home.
Sheriff’s officials said Mullennix had a gun and a history of threatening neighbors. Deputies had responded to numerous calls for service at her home.
“Due to her known history, we attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution with her outside,” said Elise Soviar , a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, in a statement announcing Mullennix’s arrest. “When a detective spoke with her, she ran inside. She then pointed a gun at the detective from inside the home and threatened to shoot him.”
The confrontation led to a standoff that stretched into Friday morning. Mullennix barricaded herself inside the home as deputies initially tried to persuade her to surrender. After midnight, the sheriff’s tactical team and crisis negotiators responded.
Nearby residents were ordered to shelter in place as the standoff continued into the early morning hours.
Mullennix “destroyed multiple law enforcement drones” during the standoff, which continued despite the tactical team firing tear gas and less-lethal 40 mm rounds into the home, Soviar said.
Deputies with the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team entered the home about 7 a.m. Friday , when Mullennix opened fire and shot Sonic, who was expected to survive.
Sonic was born in Holland and brought to Placer County as a 1-year-old in 2018 through a donation from the William C. Bean Foundation . The nonprofit was established in memory of William “Bill” Bean Jr., a former Placer County sheriff’s deputy who later became a Sacramento police officer. Bean was killed in the line of duty in 1999 while attempting to arrest a violent suspect in Sacramento .
Sonic initially worked with sheriff’s Sgt. Jon Scofield before being partnered with Deputy Matt Hoffman . The dog was trained for patrol duties and to detect firearms and ammunition, according to previous Sheriff’s Office posts.
Placer County Sheriff’s Office is now following deputy-involved shooting protocols along with the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, said sheriff’s officials.
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