Man started shootout after making two bogus 911 calls, Fresno County deputy testifies
A 57-year-old Yokuts Valley man, who is accused of firing about 20 rounds at Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies in 2018, will be put on trial, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.
Judge Gregory Fain found there was enough evidence to proceed with the criminal case against Lance Dale Legrande, who is charged with several counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer.
The shooting happened shortly before 10 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2018 in the foothill community of Yokuts Valley, formerly Squaw Valley.
A deputy had responded earlier in the evening to a call from a home in the 35000 block of George Smith Road about a report of 15 to 20 people drinking, doing drugs and having sex on the property.
Deputy Eric Schmidt was the first to arrive and talked with the home’s resident, Lance Legrande, about the 911 call.
Schmidt, who testified Friday at Legrande’s preliminary hearing, said he didn’t see evidence of a party or a large group of people.
“He (Legrande) said they are here and I shined my flashlight around the property but I did not see anybody,” Schmidt testified.
Schmidt described Legrande as appearing spooked and asked him if he had been drinking. He said he was not, Schmidt said.
The deputy assured Legrande that he checked the property, including the home’s roof, and found nothing.
A few minutes after leaving the home, Schmidt said Legrande called again with the same complaint. Schmidt spoke to a sergeant about the first call and they decided not to respond.
About a half an hour later, a third call came from the same home. This time, Legrande told 911 dispatchers armed robbers were trying to break into his home and he was arming himself, Schmidt said.
‘Bullets were flying over our heads’
Deputies responded with lights and sirens. When they got to the home, several deputies positioned themselves around the property and soon after Schmidt said he heard gunfire coming from the home.
“I could see him (Legrande) inside walking back and forth and then I see a muzzle flash,” Schmidt said. “I could not see his firearm but I heard the gunfire.”
Deputies announced their presence and urged Legrande to walk out of the home. Also inside was Legrande’s son, who left the home on his own.
As deputies continued to try and get Legrande to come out, he pointed the barrel of a rifle out the front door.
Deputy Kinnith Wilkinson III testified that when Legrande swung the gun toward the officers, Wilkinson fired two shots in his direction, missing Legrande.
Nearby, members of the Sheriff’s special weapons and tactical team were getting ready to approach the house.
One of the deputies, Kong Xiong, who had arrived earlier, told Schmidt he needed to move his vehicle to allow SWAT to make their way up Legrande’s driveway.
Schmidt testified that as soon as Xiong began to move back toward his truck, gunfire erupted from the home.
“Bullets were flying over our heads, you could hear them hitting the tree,” Schmidt said. “It sounded like a high-pitched whistle.”
Schmidt, armed with an AR-15 rifle, fired several rounds back, focusing on where he saw the muzzle flash.
No deputies were injured in the shooting.
Legrande was eventually captured after trying to flee the home. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for a non-life threatening wound.
His next court appearance is June 16 in Department 31.
