Police Identify Vallejo Officer Shooting Suspect
VALLEJO, Calif. (AP/CBS) — Vallejo Police have ended their search for the suspect behind Thursday's bank robbery and shooting that left a veteran Vallejo police officer dead.
During a phone interview early Friday morning a Vallejo Police Department representative told KPIX reporter Gil Diaz the search was over. "Everyone involved in yesterday's bank robbery is in custody."
The suspect is Henry Albert Smith, 37, of Fairfield. Smith was arrested yesterday.
Officer Jim Capoot, a 19-year veteran of the force, was chasing at least one suspect who had abandoned a getaway vehicle Thursday afternoon after a robbery at a Bank of America when he was shot, Sgt. Jeff Bassett said at a news conference Thursday night.
Capoot, 43, was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after the shooting. He did not discharge his weapon, according to Bassett.
"He was a guy who was loved by everybody," Bassett said about Capoot. "There is nobody at the police department who is not deeply affected by this."
The incident began when Capoot spotted an SUV wanted in a robbery at a Bank of America, according to police.
He apparently forced the SUV to spin out of control before chasing a suspect into a backyard. Other officers arriving at the scene reported hearing gunshots before finding Capoot wounded in the backyard.
Capoot did not discharge his weapon, Bassett said.
After the shooting, officers from surrounding communities, the California Highway Patrol and SWAT teams searched local neighborhoods into the night looking for the possible second suspect.
Capoot, a married father of three who volunteered as coach of the girls' basketball team at Vallejo High School, served as a motorcycle officer, driving and use-of-force instructor and on the SWAT team, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He received two medals of courage, two life-saving medals and other departmental commendations.
People left flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial outside the front doors of the police department's headquarters on Thursday night.
"Officer Capoot made the ultimate sacrifice today to protect the community he served for almost two decades," Gov. Jerry Brown said. "His bravery, commitment and selfless service will not be forgotten."
Capoot's death is the first killing of a Vallejo officer since Jeffrey Azuar was killed on April 12, 2000, while trying to arrest a suspect on an outstanding warrant, The Times-Herald reported.
Capoot was the fourth Vallejo officer killed in the line of the duty in the city's 155-year history.
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