Former felon shoots Butte cop and sniffer dog during custody investigation, police say

CHICO, California — According to police, a convicted felon shot at police officers early Thursday morning, narrowly missing a police dog while it was in a patrol car.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said two officers were in the area of ​​Skyway and Lava Rock Road in Chico early Thursday morning when a felon armed with a handgun began shooting at the two officers while they were sitting in their patrol car.

According to BCSO, 39-year-old Travis McCarty of Chico has been under investigation since Tuesday for a custody dispute.

Then on Wednesday, officers received information that led them to believe McCarty was in possession of firearms. They were also informed that McCarty was allegedly stalking the mother of his child, and they had also received information that suggested McCarty might be heading toward Lava Rock Road, where the mother and child were located. Officers were concerned for their safety.

Then McCarty arrived in the area in a vehicle armed with a handgun around 1:20 a.m. Thursday, police said. McCarty immediately began firing at the two officers, police said. The officers were sitting in their patrol car. The patrol car was shot at least three times, and one of the shots McCarty fired nearly missed an officer and a BCSO sniffer dog sitting in the car, authorities said.

The officers then exited the patrol car to respond. One of the officers fired his weapon at McCarty and McCarty was shot in the leg.

Additional officers arrived, arrested McCarty and immediately began rendering aid to the suspect.

In addition to the pistol he used to shoot BCSO officers, a shotgun and an assault rifle were also found in McCarty's vehicle, police said.

McCarty was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and then released. He was booked into the Butte County Jail and faced several charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, possession of firearms and ammunition as a former felon, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and assaulting a police officer with a firearm.

The Butte County Officer Involved Shooting Incident Protocol Team was called to investigate. Per standard protocol, the officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave.

Anyone with information should contact the Butte County District Attorney's Office at 530-538-7411.