Watch: Sheriff’s department releases new details on deputy shot & gang member arrested

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has released new details regarding the deputy that was shot last week, and the gang member accused of shooting him, who was captured in Mexicali on Thursday after running from the law for about a week.

Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff stood with other law enforcement officers and community leaders Friday in Thermal, talking about collaboration between agencies and residents in the search for known gang member Gildardo Davila.

“Any attack on a police officer or deputy sheriff is bad enough, but when it’s a deliberate attempt to take the officer’s life through gunfire, we throw an enormous amount of resources,” Sniff said.

Davila, 27, is suspected of shooting a sheriff’s deputy, who authorities have identified Friday as 33-year-old David Solis, in Coachella last week.

He was captured by authorities Thursday, a week after the shooting, after authorities found him living with family in Mexico.

“He was described as quite stoic, and we have not gotten any statement up to this point,” Sniff said of Davila when authorities arrested him. “There was no resistance and no issue.”

Sniff said investigators also found a semi-automatic handgun, an illegal assault rifle and large amounts of heroin and meth belonging to Davila.

Meanwhile, he said Deputy Solis is recovering at home after being released from the hospital last weekend. Sniff said Solis was shot multiple times in the hand, belly, and chest, even hit above his vest. The vest, Sniff said, is a reason Solis is alive today.

“There was no penetration into his chest cavity, but he is a very, very lucky individual,” Sniff said. “He was left-handed and was shot in his gun hand, so he was badly wounded. I won’t recount how many rounds were fired, but there were a lot of rounds fired at him.”

Ultimately, he and other leaders say working together was key in finding Davila with help from agencies including the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Border Patrol and Mexicali police and city leaders.

.@RSO Sheriff Sniff thanking agencies for help in apprehending man they say shot a Deputy. #CoachellaManhunt https://t.co/20GfimkI3n pic.twitter.com/gL7fLs3UuT

— KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) June 2, 2017

That sharing of information of tracking that individual, and sharing of information when he was taken into custody out of this country, and then getting him literally deported out of Mexico back to the United States, it’s kind of a reverse play compared to what goes on typically,” Sniff said. “But that was all absolutely critical, and underscores the importance of us sharing information without any boundaries.”

Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said his community will devote resources to gang intervention and prevention, and continue to work with their sister city, Mexicali.

“If anybody commits a crime in Coachella, and they think about running across the border, know that we as the City of Coachella has a sister city at the border and the (Mexicali) Mayor and our offices are talking,” Hernandez said.

But Sniff and others are hopeful Solis, a 7-year veteran with the department, can make a return to the force in a time, Sniff said, that’s been trying for officers.

“I think the morale is really good,” he said. “It’s especially good when we capture these individuals that prey not only on law enforcement officers but on communities. But it still ends up being a wake-up call frequently about how dangerous this job is.”

Sniff also said they’ve identified a second person seen running out of Davila’s car in surveillance video, and they may file charges against people who helped him.

Davila is expected to be arraigned in court in Indio next Monday, June 5th on the charge of attempted murder of a peace officer.

KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will continue to deliver updates as Davila’s case moves forward in court.