“Sadly, this should never have occurred but bail reform in California has prioritized criminal offenders over victims,” the Sacramento County District Attorney\u2019s Office said in a statement to Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n
Spencer was ultimately killed early Monday after allegedly opening fire on Placer County sheriff\u2019s deputies during a tense standoff in the rugged forest near Iowa Hill.<\/p>\n
MANHUNT UNDERWAY IN CALIFORNIA AFTER ARMED SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY POINTS GUN AT PEOPLE, SHOOTS AT OFFICERS<\/a><\/p>\n Derek Spencer, 44, was wanted for several felonies, including pointing a firearm at people in Placer County. (Placer County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n Authorities said he also set two fires as tactical teams closed in, forcing an overnight helicopter rescue of three SWAT operators threatened by the flames.<\/p>\n VIDEO SHOWS POLICE TAKE DOWN COP KILLER WITH ARMORED VEHICLE AFTER GUNMAN TURNED NEIGHBORHOOD INTO WAR ZONE<\/a><\/p>\n The deadly chain of events followed a string of arrests and releases that prosecutors said exposed dangerous gaps in California\u2019s bail system.<\/p>\n The first arrest came Sept. 3, when Sacramento County deputies accused Spencer of felony vandalism, resisting arrest and assaulting a deputy with a deadly weapon.<\/p>\n CHARLOTTE REPEAT OFFENDER CHARGED WITH KILLING MAN HOURS AFTER RELEASE ON BOND<\/a><\/p>\n The Sacramento County DA\u2019s office filed charges Sept. 8, including felony assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury and attempting, through threats and violence, to prevent the deputy from carrying out official duties.<\/p>\n Prosecutors asked that Spencer remain in custody, but a judge set bail as required by law, the DA\u2019s office said. Spencer posted it and was released Sept. 11.<\/p>\n REPEAT OFFENDER BUSTED AGAIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER RELEASE IN BRAZEN JEWELRY STORE THEFT CASE: POLICE<\/a><\/p>\n Then the arrests kept coming.<\/p>\n At about 11 p.m. Sept. 13, Folsom police responded to an alarm at a model home in the 4600 block of Dehone Circle. Officers encountered Spencer walking out of the property and arrested him on suspicion of burglary, the department told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH BRUTAL SLAYING ONE DAY AFTER CALIFORNIA JUDGE RELEASED HIM: DHS<\/a><\/p>\n Placer County sheriff\u2019s deputies searched the steep, heavily wooded terrain near Iowa Hill for murder suspect Derek Spencer. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and released on his own recognizance the following day, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n Two days later, Sacramento County deputies arrested Spencer again, this time on suspicion of stealing a vehicle<\/a>. He posted bail and was back out of custody Sept. 17.<\/p>\n HOW A NONCITIZEN SUSPECTED KILLER GOT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY NEWSOM-APPOINTED JUDGE: TIMELINE<\/a><\/p>\n By then, Spencer was also due in court for a preliminary hearing in the deputy-assault case. He failed to appear Sept. 18, prompting a judge to issue a warrant, according to the DA\u2019s office.<\/p>\n Prosecutors were still reviewing the burglary and vehicle-theft reports for possible charges when Spencer\u2019s alleged rampage moved into neighboring counties.<\/p>\n Authorities said Spencer stole another vehicle and guns and fired at a moving vehicle in El Dorado County on Sept. 19. The next day, Placer County deputies began hunting for him after he allegedly pointed a gun at victims.<\/p>\n Deputies spotted Spencer in the Iowa Hill area, but he allegedly rammed a sheriff\u2019s patrol vehicle and escaped. Authorities said he later fired at deputies and law enforcement helicopters, triggering an intensive manhunt and warnings for residents to lock their doors and stay inside.<\/p>\n As tactical teams cleared a home where Spencer had been seen, they found Macy shot to death inside. Investigators believe Spencer killed her before fleeing into the surrounding forest. Authorities have not publicly identified any prior connection between the two.<\/p>\n REMAINING SUSPECT IN TUCSON POLICE CADET KILLING CAPTURED AFTER FIVE-DAY MANHUNT<\/a><\/p>\n Multiple law enforcement agencies joined the search for armed murder suspect Derek Spencer in the rugged Iowa Hill area. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n A California Highway Patrol aircraft using infrared technology located Spencer shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Placer County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Several tactical teams spent hours moving through the steep, heavily wooded terrain in darkness to reach him.<\/p>\n When deputies approached, Spencer opened fire, authorities said. A standoff followed, and drone video allegedly captured him starting two separate fires.<\/p>\n At about 4 a.m., Spencer fired again from behind a berm, prompting deputies to return fire and fatally strike him, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n The flames soon threatened SWAT operators<\/a> in the forest. A tactical flight crew from the Washoe County Sheriff\u2019s Office RAVEN aviation unit flew through darkness and low-visibility conditions to hoist three operators out of the area.<\/p>\n The unit said the mission relied on a specialized night-hoist capability available to only a limited number of law enforcement aviation teams in the region.<\/p>\n The Placer County Sheriff\u2019s Office called the case a “dangerous crime spree that took a tragic turn, resulting in the loss of an innocent life.”<\/p>\n The Sacramento County DA\u2019s office pointed to the California Supreme Court\u2019s recent Kowalczyk decision<\/a>, arguing that it has limited judges\u2019 ability to detain repeat offenders before trial, even when they may pose a danger.<\/p>\n “While the District Attorney\u2019s Office has and will continue to argue that dangerous and repeat offenders like Derek Spencer remain in custody, California must repeal the Kowalczyk decision and change the law to prioritize victims when addressing bail,” the office said.<\/p>\n The Placer County DA\u2019s office separately said Spencer\u2019s repeated releases raised “serious questions” about whether state law and recent court decisions give judges enough power to prevent similar tragedies.<\/p>\n “As prosecutors, our responsibility is not only to seek justice after someone is harmed, but to speak plainly when the system presents warning signs that cannot be ignored,” the office said.<\/p>\n Macy served the Placer County DA\u2019s office from 2006 to 2020 and remained a cherished part of its extended family. She was also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.<\/p>\n Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.<\/p>\n BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA HOSTAGE STANDOFF ENDS AFTER FBI KILLS ARMED SEX OFFENDER<\/a><\/p>\n Cheryl Macy worked for the Placer County District Attorney\u2019s Office from 2006 to 2020. (Placer County District Attorney’s Office)<\/p>\n Gire called for answers, transparency and accountability while urging the community to remember how Macy lived rather than how she died. His office said former colleagues remembered the energy she brought to her work, the warmth she showed others and the lasting impact she made across Placer County.<\/p>\n “The loss of Cheryl is devastating to our office and to the entire community,” the office said. “Our hearts are with her family, her friends, and everyone who knew and loved her.”<\/p>\n Her granddaughter, Addison, told KCRA<\/a> that Macy had a special way of hugging her loved ones: three squeezes to say, “I love you.”<\/p>\n “She was the only person who\u2019s ever done that and told me that,” Addison said, calling it a memory she will always carry.<\/p>\n![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790204652_129_Derek-Spencer-mugshot-california.png\")
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