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Granite Bay Mirror

Fresno Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison

Jun 13, 2017 12:00AM ● By Source: Placer County District Attorney's Office

Rodney Jay Hance, 51 of Fresno, was sentenced to 27 years and 8 months in state prison on June 8th, 2017, for his actions during a violent confrontation with Placer County Sheriff’s Deputies. On May 16th, 2017, Hance pled no contest to one count of Assault on a Peace Officer with a Semiautomatic Firearm 245(d)(2) of the Penal Code, two counts of Resisting an Executive Officer 69 of the Penal Code, and a one count of Transportation of a Controlled Substance for Sale – Methamphetamine 11379 of the Health and Safety Code. He admitted that he personally used the firearm, that he has a prior strike, and has a prior conviction for Transportation/Possession for Sale of a Controlled Substance.

The charges stem from an incident on January 18th, 2016, when the Placer County Sheriff’s Office had received a report of a man brandishing a firearm in the parking lot of the Loomis Raley’s. A Deputy attempted to contact Hance after he crossed Horseshoe Bar Road; Hance drew a loaded, semi-automatic, 9-millimeter handgun from his rear waistband, turned toward the Deputy, and raised the firearm up and pointed it at the Deputy. Prior to Hance firing the weapon, the Sheriff’s Deputy fired at Hance, causing him to flee through a residential neighborhood and eventually into the parking lot of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Loomis sub-station, where he took shelter behind parked vehicles and pointed the firearm at several pursuing Deputies. Deputies again engaged Hance, and he was struck several times by gunfire. It was later determined that after the initial confrontation in which Hance drew the firearm, he inadvertently released the magazine from it as he fled. During the second confrontation in the sub-station parking lot, the gun that Hance was pointing was unloaded.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Block prosecuted the case and was pleased with the disposition. Block stated, “We are fortunate that under these circumstances no harm came to Deputies. Mr. Hance only failed in his quest to harm the Deputies because of the skill, professionalism, and training of the Deputies involved in his apprehension. This case illustrates how a split-second decision can make the difference between the life and the death of our Peace Officers.”

Sacramento Granite Bay area arrest records
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