Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Accused Deputy Shooter Congdon Charged With Attempted Murder
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 6 years ago on
July 5, 2019

Share

Michael James Congdon, who is accused of shooting a Fresno County deputy with a semi-automatic rifle on Tuesday, faces a sentence of 64 years to life, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said Friday morning.
Congdon, 57, is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 8:30 a.m. Monday for arraignment. He remains in Fresno County Jail with bail set at more than $1.9 million.


— Michael James Congdon
The DA’s Office said in a news release that Congdon is charged with felony attempted murder, along with other charges stemming from an ambush shooting that broke deputy John Erickson’s leg.
A civilian accompanying Erickson on a ride-along was uninjured in the attack.

Deputy Is on the Road to Recovery

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on Thursday that Erickson’s health is improving. He underwent surgery for the broken leg and internal injuries after the shooting.

Congdon Charged With These Felonies

The complaint filed Friday alleges that Congdon committed these felonies:
— attempted murder of Erickson;
— attempted murder of the deputy’s ride-along passenger;
— shooting at an occupied vehicle causing great bodily injury;
— assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm causing great bodily injury;
— and cruelty to an animal.
The DA’s Office said that if Congdon is convicted of the charges and special allegations, he faces a sentence of  64 years to life in prison. However, after serving 25 years, he would be eligible for release
under the state’s elderly parole program.

Suspect Initiated Gunfight

Deputies responding to a call about a rural property line dispute involving Congdon and a neighbor came under fire from a shed. The gunfight occurred in the vicinity of Quail Springs Lane in the Burrough Valley area of the Sierra foothills, south of Tollhouse.
Another deputy on scene ushered the civilian to safety, fired in the direction of the suspect, and then dragged Erickson a considerable distance to a safe place. Erickson was loaded into California Highway Patrol helicopter and flown to the hospital.
Sheriff Margaret Mims said it took about an hour to rescue the deputy, who hid in bushes. Congdon surrendered after about 2 ½ hours of hiding in the shed.

Sheriff Mims Discusses the Shooting

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

DON'T MISS

Judge Partly Blocks Trump Order Seeking to Overhaul US Elections

DON'T MISS

Two From Search Group That Uncovered Mexico’s ‘Ranch of Horror’ Killed

DON'T MISS

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

DON'T MISS

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

DON'T MISS

Shooter in 2022 Chicago-Area Parade Massacre Sentenced to Life in Prison

DON'T MISS

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

DON'T MISS

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Transgender Military Ban, for Now

DON'T MISS

California Judge Blocks Trump’s Bid to Cut Funds to ‘Sanctuary’ Cities

DON'T MISS

Town Hall on Trump’s First 100 Days Will Air Next Week

UP NEXT

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

UP NEXT

Survey: Californians Blame Utility Company Spending, Profits for High Electricity Rates

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Jonathan Scott Riester

UP NEXT

Chicago Bears Great Steve McMichael Dies at 67 After Battle With ALS

UP NEXT

Long Wait Is Over for Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Other Draft Prospects Joining the NFL

UP NEXT

Golden State’s Jimmy Butler Injured in Game 2 Loss, His Status for Game 3 Unknown

UP NEXT

Jalen Green Makes Eight 3s to Help Rockets Even Series With Warriors

UP NEXT

18-Year-Old Dies After Shooting Outside Clovis Restaurant

UP NEXT

Five Arrested in Fresno County Robbery Spree. Some Linked to Venezuelan Gang

UP NEXT

Artfully Staged for Takeoff: Fresno Airport Expansion Nears Finish

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

1 hour ago

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

1 hour ago

Shooter in 2022 Chicago-Area Parade Massacre Sentenced to Life in Prison

2 hours ago

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

2 hours ago

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Transgender Military Ban, for Now

2 hours ago

California Judge Blocks Trump’s Bid to Cut Funds to ‘Sanctuary’ Cities

2 hours ago

Town Hall on Trump’s First 100 Days Will Air Next Week

2 hours ago

Kristi Noem’s Handbag Was Snatched From Beneath Her Chair, DHS Says

3 hours ago

Interior Department to Fast-Track Oil, Gas and Mining Projects

3 hours ago

Survey: Californians Blame Utility Company Spending, Profits for High Electricity Rates

3 hours ago

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

A Tulare man was sentenced Wednesday to four years and four months in state prison for a high-speed DUI crash that seriously injured two wom...

30 minutes ago

Maxwell Barrios, 28, of Tulare, was sentenced to over four years in state prison on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, for a 2023 DUI crash that seriously injured two women, including one who required a partial arm amputation. (Tulare County DA)
30 minutes ago

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

People vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Election Day in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., November 5, 2024. (REUTERS/Megan Jelinger/File Photo)
48 minutes ago

Judge Partly Blocks Trump Order Seeking to Overhaul US Elections

Forensic technicians stand at a cordoned area during a media tour by Jalisco's Attorney General Office at Izaguirre Ranch, which activists have called a cartel-run "extermination camp," in Teuchitlan, Jalisco state, Mexico March 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias/File Photo)
1 hour ago

Two From Search Group That Uncovered Mexico’s ‘Ranch of Horror’ Killed

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters about Wednesday's deadly midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)
1 hour ago

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

1 hour ago

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

Robert E. Crimo III. arrives for his trial in Judge Victoria A. Rossetti’s courtroom in Waukegan, Illinois, U.S., March 3, 2025. (Nam Y. Huh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
2 hours ago

Shooter in 2022 Chicago-Area Parade Massacre Sentenced to Life in Prison

Bryan Blackman (right), 52, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder after admitting to fatally stabbing his son, Javoeea Blackman, 25, during a disturbance outside a Fresno apartment on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Fresno PD)
2 hours ago

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

2 hours ago

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Transgender Military Ban, for Now

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend