Cottonwood CHP shooting still under investigation
William Joseph Kinyon was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder; assaulting a police officer with a firearm; brandishing a firearm at a vehicle; carrying a loaded firearm; driving under the influence; evading an officer with willful disregard to public safety; obstructing a public officer; being a felon in possession of a firearm; possession of controlled substance; possession of marijuana while driving; being a felon in possession of ammunition; and a variety of misdemeanor violations.
The man who authorities said exchanged gunfire with California Highway Patrol officers this week in Cottonwood has been arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder.
William J. Kinyon, 49, was arrested on Friday after being released from Mercy Medical Center, CHP Capt. Todd Morrison said.
The Redding-area man suffered gunshot wounds in the shootout with CHP Officer Aaron Gillham and Sgt. James Malner.
The woman injured in the shootout, Michelle Short, 24, is reportedly six months pregnant. She was treated and released from Mercy on Tuesday.
It was not made clear by authorities whether Short's injuries were from window glass or shotgun pellets from a CHP officer's return fire.
Authorities said the incident started shortly before 10 a.m. on Tuesday when Gillham attempted to make a traffic stop on a red low-profile pickup on Main Street in Cottonwood.
The driver of the pickup, later identified as Kinyon, fled westbound on Gas Point Road at a high rate of speed, said Shasta County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Grashoff.
Short and another passenger in the pickup, Wendy Michaels, 29, told authorities that Kinyon declared he was not going back to prison, then retrieved a firearm from under the driver's seat, Grashoff said.
Passing Happy Valley Road, Kinyon was seen brandishing a .44 Magnum out the driver's side window, Grashoff said.
Kinyon made a U-turn and headed back toward Gillham's patrol vehicle, at which time the CHP reported, gunfire was exchanged between both parties.
Gillham fired a shotgun, Grashoff said.
The officer turned his vehicle and the pursuit continued eastbound until Kinyon turned on Happy Valley Road, again firing shots at Gillham, Grashoff reported.
The truck then slowed to apparently let Short and Michaels out, Grashoff said.
After the pickup rolled forward a few more yards — about 200 feet from Gas Point Road — Kinyon jumped from the truck with the handgun and threatened Gillham and Malner, who had arrived as backup.
Grashoff reported shots were again exchanged between the suspect and the officers. This time, Kinyon was struck and went to the ground.
The sergeant reported an eyewitness statement to the shooting is consistent with film captured on a CHP dash camera.
Kinyon, who was sentenced to state prison in 2005 for drug-related charges with a prior felony strike, had been released to Shasta County as part of the state's prison realignment program.
Kinyon has been considered a transient for the past three weeks when he left his last known address in Redding.
He has kept minimal contact with the Probation Department by telephone communication, Grashoff said.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Kinyon in January when he failed to appear for a court hearing.
