2013 shooting of Santa Cruz police officers
On February 26, 2013, Santa Cruz Police Department officers Sergeant Loran Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler were shot and killed during an investigation. After a short interaction regarding an allegation and a negotiation to be placed under arrest, Jeremy Goulet shot both officers who were standing in front of his house, and then stole an officer's service pistol and their unmarked car. Goulet had fled in the police vehicle, but later ditched it when a heavy presence of officers arrived on scene. Goulet made an attempt to flee on foot, but was later killed in a shootout with four other officers.
| 2013 shooting of Santa Cruz police officers | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Branciforte Avenue, Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
| Date | February 26, 2013 Approx. 3:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (PST) |
Attack type | Shooting, shootout |
| Weapons | .45-caliber handgun, officer's service weapon |
| Deaths | 3 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrator | Jeremy Peter Goulet |
The officers were the only officers to be killed in the line of duty in the history of the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Shooting
At about 3:30 p.m. PST, Sgt. Loran Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler, who were in plain clothes, came to Jeremy Goulet's North Branciforte Avenue residence to question him regarding an accusation of that he broke into a co-worker's home and made sexual advances towards her. Goulet opened his front door, talking to officers without exiting the home, and officers then said to Goulet that he would be placed under arrest. Goulet quickly walked away and went through another entrance of the house, from where he fired five rounds from a .45-caliber handgun, wounding the officers who were still standing at the doorstep.[1] He then walked up to Baker and fired two more rounds into him, took his weapon, and fired two rounds into Butler. Goulet texted his twin brother, "I'm in big trouble, I love you."
He then stole Baker's gun, bulletproof vest, and the officers' unmarked police vehicle, and drove off. For several minutes, Goulet was either driving or sitting in the parked car to hide from police, and multiple police vehicles were arriving on scene to corner Goulet. He ditched the car, and then ran where officers had confronted him. Police spotted Goulet hiding behind a fence, and made statements ordering Goulet to show his hands. Goulet ran down an alley for several minutes, hopping fences. Sgt. Stefan Fish, who was off-duty but heard about the shootings, and three Santa Cruz police officers — Sgt. Jose Garcia and officers Barnaby Clark and Tim Shields, encountered Goulet in an alley behind Doyle Street. The officers opened fire on Goulet, letting out 54 rounds in total. Goulet, who was armed with his own handgun and the gun he stole from Baker, fired both guns, letting out fifteen rounds. Goulet's bullets struck garages, a fire truck and grazed the leg of a woman who was at a nearby street, but hit no one else. Goulet was killed instantly by the officers' rounds.[2][3][4]
About one hundred people were present at Branciforte Middle School during the shootings. The school, which was about half a mile from the original shooting scene, was placed on lockdown.[5]
Perpetrator
Jeremy Goulet, 35, grew up in Southern California, near Edwards Air Force Base. In 2000, he graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice. In San Diego, Goulet was cited for two misdemeanors after he was allegedly caught "peeping” in 1999 and 2000.[6] He served in the military, spending six years in the Marine Corps Reserve, where he was discharged in June 2002. Personnel records list his specialties as helicopter mechanic trainee and military police. He had served three years in the U.S. Army, up until February 2007. Goulet was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, but was never assigned to a war zone.[7]
In 2008, Goulet was accused and convicted of a sex crime that took place at an apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, for allegedly filming an unsuspecting 22-year-old woman in the shower. The victim's boyfriend had confronted Goulet on three occasions, in which during the second occasion, he got into a scuffle with Goulet, and told him not to come back. Several weeks later, Goulet, armed with a handgun, confronted the woman's boyfriend again, enkindling a physical fight.[8] The victim's boyfriend struck Goulet in the face and bit his ear, and Goulet then fired several shots, none of which hit the other man. A mugshot of Goulet from this incident shows his face with lacerations caused by the woman's boyfriend. Goulet was charged with invasion of privacy, not having a permit to carry a concealed weapon, and attempted murder, and was later acquitted of the attempted murder charge but convicted of the others. He was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and was sentenced to probation. He had a dispute with his probation officer, and violated his probation, and was thus sentenced to two years in jail. According to Goulet's father, Jeremy had discrepancies with police and the American justice system.[6]
In 2012, Goulet moved to Berkeley, California, in a home he shared with his brother. Neighbors reported arguments and disturbances from their household. He had worked as a barista at a coffee shop in Berkeley for several months, but was later fired for conflicts with co-workers. About a month before the shooting, Goulet moved to a house in Santa Cruz, which he shared with roommates. He was hired by another coffee shop there, The Kind Grind. Four days before the shooting, Goulet was arrested by Santa Cruz police on suspicion of disorderly conduct, in an incident that took place on the same street he lived on. He listed his occupation as a barista on jail records, and posted $250 bail. Goulet was fired from The Kind Grind the following day, for the alleged incident that lead to Goulet's arrest. Goulet apparently broke into the co-worker's house on the night of February 22 and made inappropriate sexual advances toward her. The co-worker filed a police report and talked to police more about the allegations on the afternoon of February 26.[9]
Goulet had a plane ticket to New Mexico, where he had family, and planned to fly there four days after the shooting.[4]
Victims
Sgt. Loran Lee "Butch" Baker, Jr. (September 16, 1961 – February 26, 2013) was a 28-year veteran of the force, and Detective Elizabeth Chase Butler (March 16, 1974 – February 26, 2013) was a 10-year veteran of the force. They were the first Santa Cruz Police Department officers to be killed in the line of duty since the department's founding in the mid-1800s.[5]
References
- Baxter, Stephen (February 28, 2013). "Sheriff: Gunman killed detectives after interview at door of his Santa Cruz home". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
- "California Cop Shooting: Alleged gunman dead after fatally shooting two police officers in Santa Cruz home, police say". CBS News.
- "Jeremy Goulet was trying to 'start over' in Santa Cruz, family says". KSBW. February 27, 2013.
- Brown, J.M. (May 23, 2013). "Santa Cruz DA: Officers who shot Jeremy Goulet acted heroically". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
- Bacon, John; Winter, Michael (February 27, 2013). "Sheriff: Killer of 2 Calif. officers had armor, 3 guns". USA Today.
- Shin, Tony; Stickney, R. (February 28, 2013). "Cop Shooting Suspect Has San Diego Ties". NBC San Diego.
- Hoppin, Jason (February 27, 2013). "In confronting suspect Jeremy Goulet, Santa Cruz police officers found a troubling history". San Jose Mercury News.
- "Former Portland man suspected in killing of 2 Santa Cruz officers, dies in shootout with California police". OregonLive. February 27, 2013.
- Hoppin, Jason (February 26, 2013). "Santa Cruz police shooting: Suspect Jeremy Goulet had gun conviction, was arrested Friday". Santa Cruz Sentinel.