'It was bam, bam, bam:' Neighbor describes shooting in Tollhouse, feud with suspect accused of shooting deputy
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Twenty-four hours after a shootout injured a sheriff's deputy and stunned the Tollhouse community, Fresno County sheriff's crime scene units could still be found.
Deputy John Erickson is recovering at Community Regional Medical Center after being shot in the leg responding to shots fired on Quail Springs Lane.
Pictures of his bullet-riddled patrol truck show the severity of circumstances Erickson and his civilian passenger faced.
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"He's under gunfire the minute he pulled onto the property, and all he could do was defend himself, save his ride along," said sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti.
The property is two miles up a narrow, unpaved road, and gaining access to rescue Deputy Erickson was only half the battle.
After a three hour standoff, the suspect, Michael Congdon, surrendered.
"We got him into custody, and we're going to be able to hold him accountable for the terror that he reigned," Botti said.
The incident stemmed from a longtime feud between neighbors.
Maurine Elliott, the mother of the homeowner feuding with Congdon, was the only one home at the time shots rang out on their property.
"I could see he was shooting at my house," she said. "I blocked a road off cause now OK there's going to be some shell casings left I'll be able to prove he did this."
Elliott described the moment shots were fired to Action News, "It was bam, bam, bam, bam, bam it was like five there five here. And maybe five more down here."
Elliott said her son and Congdon had known each other since high school, but the feuding didn't start until he moved to the neighboring property.
Congdon has a restraining order against her son, which is why she said they haven't spoken in more than a year.
Congdon is in the Fresno County Jail facing several charges. In addition to two counts of attempted murder, prosecutors charged him with animal cruelty after the 57-year-old shot a horse several times during the gun battle. His bail has been set slightly over $1.9 million.
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