Man Charged After Reportedly Firing At Deputies

RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — Some tense moments in Rancho Cordova after authorities say a suicidal man fired at deputies. This comes as law enforcement is mourning the loss of officer Tara O' Sullivan shot and killed in the line of duty less than a week ago.

The dispatch calls of "shots fired, shots, fired!" came out over the radio around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

"Gut-wrenching doesn't even come close to what people felt hearing that radio traffic today," said Sgt. Tess Deterding with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

It happened as deputies were responding to reports of a suicidal man in a walnut orchard near River Bend Park and Rod Beaudry Drive.  That man has since been identified as 33-year-old Daniel Bingenheimer. Deputies were trying to get him to surrender peacefully when investigators say he opened fire.

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"We were down here working in her yard and as soon as we heard the ping .. we said ok. Let's head up there," said neighbor Helen Whelan.

Nobody was injured, but a bullet pierced a park ranger truck.

Deputies say the situation grew tense as law enforcement searched for an armed suicidal suspect who had opened fire near a residential area.

Law enforcement is still reeling from the loss of a Sacramento Police Officer during a deadly standoff with an armed suspect just a week ago.

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"I think everybody in law enforcement and the community are completely on edge right now," said Deterding.

For officers, the goal is to always bring the situation to a peaceful end — but once shots ring out:

"It changes the game entirely for us. Officers are now in fear for their life-rightfully so. Approach it differently and do whatever we need to do to stop that threat," said Deterding.

In this case, the threat was stopped without any return fire from deputies. Authorities say Bingenheimer surrendered to the swat team with help of his mother. He is being charged with Assault with a firearm on a peace officer.