Wounded Mariposa County deputy expected to recover from shooting

The Mariposa County sheriff’s deputy shot twice in a gunfight Thursday morning was still listed in critical condition Friday at a Modesto hospital but is expected to recover.

“It’s going to be a long, long road,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Kristie Mitchell said Friday. She said the deputy, who was shot in the face and torso, was able to respond to voice commands and make eye contact with visitors – including many of his colleagues from the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office released few other new details regarding the shootout between four sheriff’s deputies and the gunman from Merced. Brian Ballasch, 35, is accused of shooting at deputies around 6 a.m. on Highway 49, south of Mariposa. Ballasch, whom deputies have described as a Marine veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, also was wounded and is expected to recover.

He has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer.

Ballasch was named in an officer-safety bulletin given to the Merced Police Department a day before the shooting. Merced police did not broadcast the information to other agencies until after the shootout with Mariposa deputies.

Mitchell said there was no timetable available Friday for releasing the names of the deputies involved in the shooting. The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the shooting. Mariposa deputies are also conducting an internal review of the shooting, a standard procedure in any critical incident, Mitchell said.

The Mariposa Deputy Sheriff’s Association has established an account at West America Bank to assist the wounded deputy’s family. Donations can be made to: Acct# 0168484285 at any branch of West America Bank or mailed to PO Box 157, Mariposa 95338.

The Fresno Bee contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Wounded Mariposa County deputy expected to recover from shooting."