Autopsy: Woman shot by deputies hit multiple times

A Bay Area woman who was shot and killed by Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies was struck by multiple bullets, including one to her head and others to her torso, investigators said Wednesday.

Karen Janks, 46, died Friday from wounds she received two days earlier at the end of a 19-mile chase from Windsor to Sebastopol, Lt. Rainier Navarro said.

Janks struck three deputies and a patrol car with her Infiniti G-20 before deputies opened fire on her, Navarro said.

An autopsy was conducted Monday. Navarro said the number of shots fired by deputies and the number of times Janks was hit is still under investigation and cannot be released at this time.

Also, results from a toxicology exam are pending and could take several weeks to be received, Navarro said.

The Santa Rosa Police Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting under a countywide protocol to ensure an independent review.

Witnesses reported seeing Janks’ car driving backward in the northbound lane of Highway 101 about 11:45 p.m. on April 22.

She failed to stop for a deputy and led officers on a high-speed chase through Santa Rosa to a parking lot on Gravenstein Highway in Sebastopol, where she was shot.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.