Sacramento County sheriff's deputy was shot in the face Tuesday during a confrontation with a suspect at a transit station, authorities said.
The suspect fled and was believed to be holed up in a hotel, Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull said.
The deputy, a four-year member of the force, was at a hospital in unknown condition, but Turnbull said he was talking as he was transported from the scene.
The incident began about 6 p.m. at a light-rail station at Watt Avenue and Interstate 80, where the deputy reported that he was in a fight with a person. Shortly thereafter, he alerted that shots were fired, Turnbull said.
By then, a Sheriff's Department helicopter had arrived and tracked the suspect as he escaped to the Red Roof Inn and Suites on Watt Avenue, Turnbull said.
Police surrounded the hotel, established a perimeter and have evacuated nearby businesses.
"Our search for the suspect is going to be methodical," Turnbull said. "It's a fairly dynamic situation _ it's a large building with multiple occupants and multiple doors."
He said police are taking care to distinguish and protect guests while trying to find the suspect. The search is expected to take several hours, and a SWAT team was at the scene.
Sheriff's officials asked the public to stay away from the area.
The wounded deputy's name was not released. Turnbull said the man was a member of the sheriff's unit that polices the Sacramento Regional Transit light rail and was working overtime when the shooting occurred.
