Rocklin Bank Robbery at Wells Fargo on Granite Drive

On August 8, 2009, at 1:23 p.m., while on patrol, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy was waved down by a citizen at the corner of Madison Avenue and Hillsdale Boulevard. The citizen told the deputy there were three or four subjects wearing masks behind the businesses at 5222 Hillsdale Boulevard. The deputy drove his patrol vehicle around to the east side of the business where he exited his vehicle to confront the three suspects. As soon as the deputy exited his vehicle at least one of the suspects opened fire at the deputy with a handgun.

The deputy was struck by the gunfire and retreated, on foot, across Madison Avenue. As he was crossing the street he was met by a patrol officer from the Rocklin Police Department (RPD) who was in the area looking for three suspects who had robbed a Wells Fargo bank in Rocklin several minutes earlier. Upon learning the Sheriff’s deputy had been wounded, the RPD officer transported the deputy to Mercy San Juan Hospital in his patrol car. The wounded deputy was able to broadcast a description of the suspects and the direction they had fled.

A perimeter around the area was requested and multiple law enforcement agencies responded to assist; including the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Sacramento Police Department, Twin Rivers Police Department, Citrus Heights Police Department, Elk Grove Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Roseville Police Department, West Sacramento Police Department, additional Rocklin Police Department officers and parole officers from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Shortly before 2:00 p.m., CHP officers spotted two subjects matching the description of the suspects walking on the freeway near Madison Avenue. The suspects ran, but were taken into custody a short distance away. The search for the third suspect continued until shortly before 3:00 p.m. when he was located in a backyard shed in the 4300 block of Chapel Way. The Sheriff’s department’s SWAT team deployed a diversionary device and flushed the suspect from the shed. He was taken into custody a short distance away after he attempted to flee on foot.

The injured deputy, 32-year-old Duke Lewis (photo above), was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a single gunshot wound to his shoulder, he is expected to survive. Lewis is a nine-year veteran with the department.

Investigators believe the three suspects are responsible for the robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank in Rocklin. When Sheriff’s detectives have completed the interview process, the two adult suspects (38- and 19-years-old) will be booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail; the 17-year-old juvenile suspect will be booked into juvenile hall. The identities of the two adult suspects will be released at that time.