Nevada man held in shooting of deputy in Wells
WELLS — A manhunt ended Saturday with the surrender of a Nevada man who authorities say fired dozens of rounds at law enforcement officers from the roof of his house two days earlier and critically injured a sheriff’s deputy.
Peter Coca surrendered without incident near his home in Wells, authorities said.
He was booked into the Elko County Jail on one count of attempted murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Before being booked, he was taken to a hospital in Elko after complaining about chest pains.
Deputies responded to a domestic dispute at the house Thursday, and spotted Coca on the roof with a rifle. Authorities said he ignored requests to show his hands and fired up to 60 rounds at authorities before fleeing.
Deputies cordoned off a four-block area of the town along Interstate 80 as they searched building by building for the 43-year-old licensed electrical contractor.
He hid in a basement, but its location was not immediately known.
The wounded deputy, Lenwood VanNatter, remained in critical condition Saturday at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he was scheduled to undergo a second surgery. He was shot in the chest, hip and legs.
A bulletproof vest VanNatter was wearing probably saved his life when he was hit in the chest, investigators said.
School was canceled in Wells, Friday, as a precaution.