Update: Suspect Arrested in Antioch First Responders Drive-By Shooting; Discovery Bay Man's Murder
ANTIOCH (CBS SF/BCN) -- A Stockton man who attempted to flee police during a two-county pursuit that ended in a crash in Richmond, was in custody Sunday after he allegedly wounded a firefighter and paramedic in a drive-by shooting in Antioch which followed the slaying of a man in Discovery Bay.
UPDATE 2/22: Suspect's Son, Child's Mother Missing After Contra Costa Crime Rampage
Antioch police said man was arrested late Saturday night following a pursuit that traversed two counties and ended moments after the suspect's vehicle collided with a parked vehicle. A CHP spokesperson said the suspect vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour during the chase.
The suspect was later identified as 26-year-old Darryon Williams of Stockton by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office.
The incident began shortly before 9 p.m., when Contra Costa firefighters and an ambulance from American Medical Response responded to a call for someone requiring medical attention in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Auto Center Drive.
Employees of a Panda Express made the 911 call after a man walked into the restaurant, complaining of stomach pain.
"The ambulance came, the firefighters were already here, they were getting him settled in a way," said Maura, who works at the restaurant. "Then you just hear gunshots and then one of the paramedics fell ... We just ran inside because none of us wanted to get hurt...There were about six shots."
Investigators said that while the first responders were caring for the patient, a silver SUV drove by and someone inside fired shots at them. The vehicle drove by a second time and someone inside fired a second series of shots.
"It was continuous shooting," a bystander told KPIX. "Bam, bam, bam -- like that. I felt nervous because you hear shots but you couldn't tell where they were coming from... I just saw all the police coming. It was terrible."
The bullets struck the side of a police car and the hood of an ambulance.
A 31-year-old firefighter was shot in the foot and a 58-year-old paramedic was shot in the leg. Both men are being treated for injuries at local hospitals where they were in stable condition and were expected to survive.
"It's always in the back of our minds ... things can always happen at any scene. I believe this is our first incident where a firefighter has actually been struck by a bullet," said ConFire prevention captain Joe Ottolini.
The SUV fled the scene westbound on Highway 4 toward Pittsburg, police said, pursued by Antioch officers on a chase that went through Contra Costa and Alameda counties and finally to Richmond, when the suspect's SUV collided with a parked car.
Police said the suspect then attempted to flee on foot but was quickly taken into custody by Richmond Police and CHP officers. A firearm was also found at the scene.
Later that evening, Antioch officers requested that the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office conduct a welfare check at a residence in the 2100 block of Newport Court in Discovery Bay.
There, deputies discovered the bullet-ridden body of a man who was later identified as Michael Iliff, age 64, of Discovery Bay.
Investigators identified Williams as the suspect in Iliff's death and he was booked into the county jail in Martinez Sunday afternoon, charged with one count of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. His bail was set at $11 million.
Williams' four-year-old son and the his mother, Kimberly Meeks, age 31 of Discovery Bay are missing and the sheriff's office is asking for the public's help locating them. Meeks has links to the Stockton/Sacramento area, officials said and detectives believe they are traveling in a dark-colored Audi SUV with California license plate: 8UKN742.
"Tonight's senseless shootings are a vivid reminder of the very real dangers our first responders face, often side-by-side with our law enforcement partners, as they work to save lives across our communities," said Lewis T. Broschard III, fire chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
"We are grateful for the public outpouring of support for our wounded firefighter and AMR paramedic and for the work of law enforcement across the Bay Area to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice."
Antioch police detectives are continuing to investigate and ask that anyone with information about the incident call the department at (925) 778-2441, call Det. Brogdon at (925) 779-6895, or text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.
