Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Danny Oliver was assigned to a Problem Oriented Policing unit for the North Division. In the morning hours of Friday, October 24th, 2014 Deputy Oliver and his partner stopped in a Motel 6 parking lot to investigate a suspicious vehicle occupied by two subjects, a male and female. 

Within minutes a male occupant of the vehicle opened fire on both deputies. Deputy Oliver was struck by gunfire sustaining mortal wounds to which he succumbed on scene. Both suspects then fled the area in their car as Deputy Oliver’s partner returned fire. A short distance away, they attempted to carjack a vehicle and the male suspect shot the vehicle’s civilian occupant multiple times. They then carjacked two additional vehicles and eventually fled up I-80 towards Auburn. 

An intensive regional search by numerous law enforcement agencies was undertaken which resulted in further tragedy. Placer County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Davis Jr was murdered during the attempted contact of the suspect vehicle. The female suspect was taken into custody not far from where Detective Davis was shot. She had a handgun in her purse when arrested. The male suspect was located and arrested after barricading in a nearby residence. At the time, it became the single deadliest day for California law enforcement since February of 2013.

Deputy Oliver served with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Patriot Park, located at 6827 Palm Avenue in Fair Oaks, has a Wall of Honor in the back area of the park where Deputy Oliver is memorialized.