A campground story
As the SPO for the Pala Indian Reservation, I was often called out for incidents that occurred on the reservation when I was not working. On one such morning, I received a call-out and I responded to just such a call.
One of these cases I was involved in was a case where a disgruntled ex-employee of a local trucking company was terminated from his job at Brown’s Trucking of Pala. The disgruntled employee, Shawn Curran, 34 years old, was fired due to driving while under the influence of drugs. The trucking company, had a truck yard next to the Acorn Park Campground on the Pala Indian Reservation, incidentally I also had my office in the front of that campground. Note: Today, the Pala Casino and Resort has been built over that site.
The trucking company often used the rear gates to the campground for easier access to their own yard. The campground was often used by large groups for annual events and on June 7th, 8th and 9th, 1996 a local motorcycle group was using the camp for such a purpose. There were approximately 250 bikers attending this event. It was usually my policy not to get involved with these events, and they provided their own security to keep the problems at a minimum.
In the early hours on Sunday morning, June 9th at about 1 a.m., Shawn Curran stole one of the trucks from the Brown Trucking yard and plowed through the rear gate into the campground. The 20 -ton tractor trailer rig, sped through the campground, hitting trees, motorcycles, running over tents and picnic tables. Of course the bikers/campers were not too pleased and opened fired on the rampaging tracker trailer rig as it tore through the camp sites, running over motorcycles and camp sites.
Unfortunately, Curran ran over a tent with a sleeping camper, James Flannery, 35 killing him instantly. One of the wheels ran directly over his head, killing him instantly. Curran fled westbound on Highway 76 (Pala Road) towards interstate 15, but with all of the bullet holes courtesy of our 250 bikers, the trucks fuel tanks were punctured and all of the fuel leaked out. About a mile away, Curran had to abandon the tracker trailer rig and flee on foot.
Upon my arrival, at about 0250 hours, my fellow deputies had already taped off the crimes scene (a very large one at that) and notified the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide unit. I was directed to assist in the search of the suspect. My canine, “Felix” was a tracking dog. Since no one had observed in which direction the suspect fled, I had to start a general search with my canine.
“Felix” picked up on his track right away and we were off westbound along the side of Highway 76, which by the way, traffic had to be shut down in both directions, due to my search and the abandon, tracker trailer rig (now the instrument in a homicide case) in the middle of the highway would have to be processed prior to removal by the criminalists (AKA: lab geeks).
We tracked the scent about one mile on the south edge of the roadway, and turned south off the roadway into several avocado and orange groves. It was still very dark and it made the tracking harder for me, but my canine partner was still strong on the scent and eager to track. We tracked the scent another couple of miles and lost his scene, near another road, where I had another tracking team assist me in recovering a track.
The other team picked up on what they believed was our suspects track and he followed it. I took my canine back to my vehicle for a rest and water and to assist the other team when he needed a break and to resume the track further on.
At about day break, I monitored a radio call of a suspicious person at the All Seasons Campground on Old Highway 395 just southwest of our tracking location. In fact, our track was leading us to that very location. I responded and so did our station commander Lt. Clements. Upon my arrival, I saw Lt. Clements, pointing his snob nose revolver at a subject laying face down on the ground near the payphone in front of the campground market. I noticed that he was still very agitated and nervous. He kept moving and looking towards Lt. Clements. He was ordered to place both of his hands stretched out, but he had both of his hands placed flat on the ground next to his Pecs, as if he was going to do pushups. I took my canine out (who was barking) and told the subject, if he gets up and flees, I would send my dog and he will be bit.
The subject heard my canine and began to pay attention to me and my partner. I gave Lt. Clements my handcuffs and he cuffed the suspect up taking him into custody. Curran had been struck with a bullet to his left shoulder from one of the enthusiastic bikers dispensing western style cowboy justice as he drove through the campground.
One of these cases I was involved in was a case where a disgruntled ex-employee of a local trucking company was terminated from his job at Brown’s Trucking of Pala. The disgruntled employee, Shawn Curran, 34 years old, was fired due to driving while under the influence of drugs. The trucking company, had a truck yard next to the Acorn Park Campground on the Pala Indian Reservation, incidentally I also had my office in the front of that campground. Note: Today, the Pala Casino and Resort has been built over that site.
The trucking company often used the rear gates to the campground for easier access to their own yard. The campground was often used by large groups for annual events and on June 7th, 8th and 9th, 1996 a local motorcycle group was using the camp for such a purpose. There were approximately 250 bikers attending this event. It was usually my policy not to get involved with these events, and they provided their own security to keep the problems at a minimum.
In the early hours on Sunday morning, June 9th at about 1 a.m., Shawn Curran stole one of the trucks from the Brown Trucking yard and plowed through the rear gate into the campground. The 20 -ton tractor trailer rig, sped through the campground, hitting trees, motorcycles, running over tents and picnic tables. Of course the bikers/campers were not too pleased and opened fired on the rampaging tracker trailer rig as it tore through the camp sites, running over motorcycles and camp sites.
Unfortunately, Curran ran over a tent with a sleeping camper, James Flannery, 35 killing him instantly. One of the wheels ran directly over his head, killing him instantly. Curran fled westbound on Highway 76 (Pala Road) towards interstate 15, but with all of the bullet holes courtesy of our 250 bikers, the trucks fuel tanks were punctured and all of the fuel leaked out. About a mile away, Curran had to abandon the tracker trailer rig and flee on foot.
Upon my arrival, at about 0250 hours, my fellow deputies had already taped off the crimes scene (a very large one at that) and notified the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide unit. I was directed to assist in the search of the suspect. My canine, “Felix” was a tracking dog. Since no one had observed in which direction the suspect fled, I had to start a general search with my canine.
“Felix” picked up on his track right away and we were off westbound along the side of Highway 76, which by the way, traffic had to be shut down in both directions, due to my search and the abandon, tracker trailer rig (now the instrument in a homicide case) in the middle of the highway would have to be processed prior to removal by the criminalists (AKA: lab geeks).
We tracked the scent about one mile on the south edge of the roadway, and turned south off the roadway into several avocado and orange groves. It was still very dark and it made the tracking harder for me, but my canine partner was still strong on the scent and eager to track. We tracked the scent another couple of miles and lost his scene, near another road, where I had another tracking team assist me in recovering a track.
The other team picked up on what they believed was our suspects track and he followed it. I took my canine back to my vehicle for a rest and water and to assist the other team when he needed a break and to resume the track further on.
At about day break, I monitored a radio call of a suspicious person at the All Seasons Campground on Old Highway 395 just southwest of our tracking location. In fact, our track was leading us to that very location. I responded and so did our station commander Lt. Clements. Upon my arrival, I saw Lt. Clements, pointing his snob nose revolver at a subject laying face down on the ground near the payphone in front of the campground market. I noticed that he was still very agitated and nervous. He kept moving and looking towards Lt. Clements. He was ordered to place both of his hands stretched out, but he had both of his hands placed flat on the ground next to his Pecs, as if he was going to do pushups. I took my canine out (who was barking) and told the subject, if he gets up and flees, I would send my dog and he will be bit.
The subject heard my canine and began to pay attention to me and my partner. I gave Lt. Clements my handcuffs and he cuffed the suspect up taking him into custody. Curran had been struck with a bullet to his left shoulder from one of the enthusiastic bikers dispensing western style cowboy justice as he drove through the campground.