Two Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office deputies opened fire during a traffic stop in South Sacramento on the evening of Monday, February 16, 2026, striking an adult male suspect whose vehicle had been linked to a shooting from the day before. The stop happened near Tiogawoods Drive and Elk Grove Florin Road at around 7:30 pm, when deputies with the agency’s Central Patrol Division spotted the vehicle traveling southbound on Elk Grove Florin Road.
The vehicle was suspected of being involved in a shooting that had occurred in the same area the previous day, according to the Sacramento Sheriff, the official X account for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Patch reported that the vehicle stopped by Central Patrol deputies had been identified as directly connected to that prior-day shooting, according to Patch. During the stop, both deputies fired their weapons, discharging a total of five rounds combined. The suspect was struck by an unknown number of gunfire impacts, while both deputies were uninjured.
Deputies Rendered Aid as Suspect Was Hospitalized
After the shooting, deputies at the scene provided medical aid to the suspect while awaiting Sacramento Metro Fire. The suspect was then transported to a local area hospital. As of February 17, 2026, the suspect remained hospitalized following the incident, the same account reported. A handgun belonging to the suspect was located at the scene, per the sheriff’s account of the incident.
The intersection where the stop occurred sits along a residential and commercial corridor in South Sacramento near the border of Elk Grove, as described in earlier reporting from the Los Angeles Times. The Central Patrol Division oversees unincorporated communities across South Sacramento, responding to high-priority violent crime calls and conducting targeted vehicle stops as part of its regular duties.
Investigations Now Underway on Two Fronts
The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, a step the sheriff’s office says complies with its policies and procedures. The Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Professional Standards Division are conducting the investigation as standard practice within the office’s jurisdiction, while the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will conduct an independent review of the incident…