A suspected burglar was shot this morning by a sheriff's deputy in Galt, law enforcement officials said.
The suspect, shot twice, was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. A sheriff's spokesman said the deputy was forced to shoot because the man was running in the direction of another officer with what the deputy believed was a hammer in his hand.
About 2 a.m., Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were called to assist Galt police on a burglary alarm call at "It's a Grind" coffee house on Twin Cities Road, just off Highway 99.
Three deputies responded. The last deputy who responded saw someone running away from the coffee shop.
The first two officers noticed that a car was idling and backed up to the business. The front door to the business was smashed.
Deputies thought they saw someone moving around inside the shop. Cautiously, the two deputies entered the building to see a man run from behind the counter.
The deputies shouted for the man to stop and also commanded him to "Show us your hands."
One of the deputies believed that the suspect was armed with a hammer as he ran toward the front door where his fellow officer was standing.
"He is yelling stop, show us your hands," said sheriff's department spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos. "The suspect is still running and the officer thinks he has a hammer in his hand. He shoots at the suspect, striking him twice."
A hammer later was recovered from the scene, authorities said.
After being hit by the gunfire once in the upper body and once in the lower body, the suspected burglar continues to run out of the shop. The deputies chased him and detained him just outside the business.
He was transported to the hospital where he was in surgery this morning. His wounds were possibly life-threatening, Ramos said.
About 3:15 a.m. a second suspect, presumably the man who ran from the business earlier, was found hiding nearby beneath a recreational vehicle. He was taken to the hospital with bite wounds inflicted by a police dog.
This post was updated by Bee staff writer Kim Minugh.
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