FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – According to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, two veteran Fresno County Sheriff’s Office correctional officers remain in the hospital – recovering from the injuries they received as a result of being shot in the lobby of the Fresno County Jail on Saturday.
Juanita Davila is listed in critical, but stable condition and she is able to communicate by writing to medical staff. Toamalama Scanlan is listed in critical condition and has exhibited movement of his limbs when directed by medical staff. Doctors remain hopeful he will recover, but nothing is certain.
Sheriff’s Office detectives around 8:15 am on Saturday surveillance cameras recorded images of the shooting suspect, 37-year-old Thong Vang lingering around the front doors of Fresno Police headquarters. He tried to enter the lobby, but the doors were locked due to the office being closed. A short time later, he was seen leaving police department headquarters and walking toward the Fresno County Jail.
At 8:30 am, Vang entered the lobby of the main jail. At this time, the lobby was filled with about 15 visitors, including small children. Vang paced back and forth for several minutes before walking up to the correctional officer working at the desk, where he told the officer he wanted to be injured. Vang then got close to a metal detector that leads to a secure area of the jail, so the officer at the desk asked for assistance from other correctional officers to escort Vang out of the lobby.
Correctional Officer Juanita Davila walked out of the records area and asked Vang to leave. Vang refused to listen to Officer Davila and got into a struggle with her. Additional officers were called in from secured areas of the jail to assist. During their response to the lobby, Vang pulled a handgun out of his clothing and fired a shot that broke the glass window on the records area hallway door. Vang fired another bullet, which struck Davila in the face.
Additional radio calls were made that shots had been fired in the lobby. A responding correctional officer deployed his taser on Vang, but it was ineffective in getting him to surrender. As Correctional Officer Toamalama Scanlan approached and fired his taser at Vang, Vang simultaneously fired his gun and struck Scanlan in his head.
A lieutenant correctional officer, responding from upstairs with his handgun, confronted Vang 40 seconds after the initial gunfire. The lieutenant and Vang exchanged gun shots, but neither were struck. Using his hands, Vang cleared the glass to the broken window of the records door and jumped through the opening to take cover in a hallway. Responding sheriff’s deputies and Fresno Police officers staged outside the jail and created an entry plan. Once deputies saw an officer down in the lobby, they made the decision to enter and conduct a rescue operation.
Deputies entered the jail lobby and were followed by police officers. As they held Vang at gunpoint and ordered him to drop his weapon. Vang did so and deputies began to drag both officers Scanalan and Davila outside to ambulances waiting on the street.
Vang conveyed to officers he was giving up and wanted to be arrested. Deputies took Vang into custody and he was transported to the hospital for minor scrapes and cuts.
Detectives later interviewed Vang and then booked him into the Fresno County Jail on felony attempted murder, bringing a gun into the jail and being a felon in possession of a firearm charges. He is also the subject of a parole hold and an immigration detainer.
The investigation has revealed Vang had a cell phone on him prior to his arrest, but deputies did not recover it. Vang claims he set it down outside the jail lobby. If someone picked up the phone or knows of its whereabouts, detectives ask that you turn it in to either the jail or the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Those wishing to make a donationation can do by writing a check payable to: Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association. In the memo column, please write: Injured officers fund.
Checks can be mailed to: FDSA 1360 Van Ness Avenue Fresno, CA 93721.
The FDSA has also established an online “Go Fund Me” account. You may access the link here.
