Sheriff’s Office provides update on Placer County deputy injured in recent gunfight in Colfax

A sheriff’s deputy who was shot during a gunfight with a burglary suspect in Colfax is recovering in the hospital and may be discharged soon.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Sunday morning that Deputy Richard Porter was “eating well” and that he “even took some steps.” The agency did not describe the nature of his injuries, but deputies told dispatchers after the shooting that he had a gunshot wound to the neck.

His one-year anniversary with the agency was Saturday, said Sgt. David Smith, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. In November, he completed training with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Academy.

The Sheriff’s Office said in the post that Porter could be released by Monday.

He was injured Friday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said, after deputies patrolling an area of the city saw a van that matched the description of a vehicle sought in connection with a recent burglary. Following a tense exchange, the Sheriff’s Office said the man, identified later as Stephen Todd Sharp, shot at deputies. Deputies fired back, the agency said.

During the gunfight Porter was hit and later airlifted from the scene.

More deputies arrived and Sharp, 37, was later found dead inside his vehicle. The agency did not say if he died from a gunshot wound. The Sheriff’s Office said he was “originally from Tennessee, but had been living out of his van in the Colfax area.”

Agency detectives are investigating the shooting and the deputies who fired shots have been placed on administrative leave. The incident will also be reviewed by the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Office said it would continue to provide updates on Porter’s condition.

Porter is married and expecting his first child in a few weeks, according to the Placer 10-35 Foundation, a group that raises money for law enforcement in the county. It created a online fundraising webpage to try and bring in $25,000 to help with costs related to his recovery and his new child.