Rookie Sacramento cop fatally shot after gunman ambushes police responding to domestic violence call
26-year-old Tara O'Sullivan is the first Sacramento officer killed in the line of duty in 20 years; Christina Coleman reports.
The man accused of shooting and killing a rookie Sacramento, Calif., police officer Wednesday evening had been accused of domestic violence on several occasions, according to reports.
Adel Sambrano Ramos, 45, faced misdemeanor battery charges in 1998, 2001, and had a warrant issued for another incident involving a girl nine days before he allegedly shot and killed Officer Tara O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan was helping a woman gather her belongings from her home during a domestic violence call when the shooting unfolded.
A judge twice granted domestic violence restraining orders against Ramos issued at his wife's request in 2004 and 2007, court records showed. In both cases, he was required to give up his guns. The restraining orders later expired.
Following the shooting Wednesday, Ramos allegedly kept firing at police, preventing them from reaching the injured officer for 45 minutes. Officers took cover and called for an armored vehicle to help rescue their colleague.
The suspect, Adel Sambrano Ramos, in a photo released Thursday. (Sacramento Police Department via AP)
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She eventually was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center where she died.
"We are devastated," Deputy Chief Dave Peletta said about O'Sullivan's death. "There are no words to convey the depth of sadness we feel or how heartbroken we are for the family of our young, brave officer."
O'Sullivan, 26, was the first Sacramento police officer to be killed in the line of duty in two decades. The rookie cop graduated from the police academy in December and was partnered with a training officer, Peletta said.
The officer, Tara O'Sullivan, was shot and killed Wednesday. (Sacramento Police Department via AP)
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She hailed from the San Francisco Bay area and was part of the first graduating class of a law enforcement training program at Cal State Sacramento. She was the only woman among the first four graduates.
She said the program gave her "an inside look at what to expect in the academy: the tasks that will be asked of me, how to walk, what to wear, how to put up my hair," according to a news release. "This is another edge I will have over other recruits in the academy.”
The school planned to launch a scholarship in O'Sullivan's honor.
"She had a big heart, a strong mind, a great personality. She made you smile — she is exactly what we need in the police force," said Robert Nelson, the university president.
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The Sacramento Police Department's next batch of recruits was scheduled to graduate Thursday night where O'Sullivan is expected to be remembered.
The California Association Highway Patrol Credit Union has created a memorial fund for the officer, the Sacramento Bee reported.
In addition to domestic violence allegations, Ramos allegedly harassed a black family who lived next door, Muhammed Ilyas, who lives near the scene of the shooting, told The Associated Press. Ilyas said Ramos threatened three children with kitchen knives while they played outside and frequently shouted racial slurs at the family.
In this June 6, 2011, file photo, Tara O'Sullivan decorated her mortarboard with her police academy plans at College Park High School's commencement ceremony in Concord, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group via AP, File)
Orlando Ramos, a younger brother of the suspect, said Adel Ramos had been estranged from his family.
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"If he goes to prison for the rest of his life, I could care less," Orlando Ramos said. "I'm a lot more heartbroken for seeing the pain in my mother and for the police officer and her family than I am for him going to prison."
Ramos is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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