Crime & Safety
Armed 88-Year-Old Man Arrested After Standoff: Police
Ultimately, officers entered the home and took Ronald Shipley into custody.
PETALUMA, CA — An allegedly armed 88-year-old man was arrested in Petaluma on Sunday after a standoff with police, the department said.
At about 11:30 a.m., officers received a report of a man, Ronald Shipley, who had allegedly armed himself after a family disturbance.
Police arrived in the 1300 block of Marian Way and found out that the man was in the backyard of the home with a gun. A drone was used to observe Shipley, who allegedly fired a single round.
Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Everyone in the home was evacuated and police attempted negotiations with Shipley for several hours, the department said. Mutual aid was provided by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Department of Fish and Game, and the California Highway Patrol.
Ultimately, officers entered the home and took him into custody.
Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Police allege that Shipley fired a round into the residence while it was still occupied and he was booked into jail on suspicion of shooting at an inhabited dwelling.
A search of the home was carried out with the help of K-9 "Pinky," a Labrador/Pointer mix specially trained to detect the odor of firearms and ammunition, the department said. Pinky alerted to the location where the firearm was allegedly concealed, and officers recovered the weapon believed to have been used in this case.
By Katy St. Clair / Bay City News
Copyright © 2025 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
