May 20, 2023 – Rough and Ready, CA – Nevada County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Friday, May 19, 2023, at approximately 5:20 a.m. a vehicle was reported stolen from Harper Lane off Spenceville Road in Penn Valley. California Highway Patrol responded to the victim’s residence to take the theft report, while our dispatchers from the Nevada County Regional Dispatch Center put out the description of the vehicle to patrol units. Deputy Taylor King and his K9 partner “Vito” were in the area and spotted the stolen vehicle on Rough and Ready Highway and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated westbound into Rough and Ready.
After a short pursuit, the suspect exited the vehicle and ran from Deputy King and Vito, who together chased the suspect on foot. After the suspect refused to stop despite announcements that the K9 would be deployed, “Vito” was commanded to apprehend the fleeing suspect. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Michael Loy Gordon of Grass Valley, was taken into custody and booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility for Vehicle Theft, Resisting Arrest, Evading, Vandalism, and Receiving Stolen Property.
Just this week, Sheriff Shannan Moon along with several other California Sheriffs, met with Governor Gavin Newsom at the Capitol (pictured below) to discuss their perspectives on several pending bills before the state Legislature in the 2023 session. Sheriff Moon shared her opposition to many of the bills that restrict or ban tools that allow law enforcement to provide services that keep our communities and law enforcement officers safe. One such bill that is high on her list to oppose, is AB 742 (Jackson) – a bill that would prohibit the use of K9’s in a patrol capacity. The Sheriff has been working with our Nevada County Board of Supervisors to submit a letter of opposition from the County, which will be presented at the upcoming board meeting next Tuesday, May 23, 2023, as brought forth by Supervisor Sue Hoek and Supervisor Lisa Swarthout. We thank the Board for their support in this action.
Sheriff Moon re-authorized the K9 Program at NCSO in 2020. We have seen firsthand the success of our K9 program in helping to keep our community and our deputies safe. If AB 742 were to pass, arrests like this one could be much more difficult to achieve in the safe manner in which this occurred today. Patrol K9’s are a valuable de-escalation tool and less lethal force option. If K9 units are eliminated as a force option for law enforcement, California peace officers will lose a specialized and extremely effective de-escalation tool in use of force situations.
Nevada County Deputy Taylor King and his K9 partner “Vito”
Sheriff Shannan Moon with several California Sheriffs, met with Governor Gavin Newsom at the Capitol
Source & photos: Nevada County Sheriff's Office
