Witnesses reported that law enforcement officers were in a stand-off with a person inside the Best Western motel in Ukiah Wednesday evening, but it wasn't clear if it was related to the search for a man believed to have fired upon a sheriff's deputy.
Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, reached on his cell phone Wednesday, said he did not want to release any information when he was because "the bad guy can look on the Internet."
Allman declined further comment.
Mendocino County authorities have been searching for Walter Kristopher Miller, 42, who is suspected of firing numerous rounds at a deputy Monday night before he and a second suspect abandoned their car off Highway 253.
The second man was apprehended the next day.
Miller has a violent past that includes two arrests for assault with a deadly weapon and convictions for intimidating a witness and receipt of stolen property, county and state corrections officials said.
He is believed to be in possession of at least one of five firearms stolen in a residential burglary some hours before the chase began and is considered potentially dangerous, authorities said.
A worker at Henny Penny's restaurant said evacuated hotel guests have been coming in.
Neither the CHP nor Ukiah police would comment whether Miller was the person involved in the stand-off.
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