2 officers, 1 suspect shot dead in Santa Cruz

By J.M. Brown, Stephen Baxter. Jessica Pasko
Santa Cruz Sentinel
santacruzsentinePosted: 02/26/2013 05:39:17 PM PST

Media Center Gallery - Photos: North Branciforte, Doyle Street shootings in Santa Cruz

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Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Deputy member of the SWAT team gears up to enter the... ( Dan Coyro )



SANTA CRUZ -- Two Santa Cruz police officers and one suspect are dead after a shootout in Santa Cruz Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Phil Wowak said.

Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel said, "Our department is in mourning. This is a horrific day. We lost two exceptionally fine officers today.

Santa Cruz has never lost an officer in the line of duty.

"It's a horrible, horrible day for the Santa Cruz Police Department and the community of Santa Cruz," Vogel said.

Wowak said the Sheriff's Office will take over patrol operations for the Police Department for the time being.

"My heart goes out to those who were involved," Wowak said.

Wowak said they do no believe there are any suspects on the loose but as a precaution deputies are going house to house.

Here's what unfolded earlier Tuesday.

About 3:30 p.m. Santa Cruz police were investigating an incident at a house on the 800 block of North Branciforte Avenue when a suspect fired at police, hitting the two officers.

The second shooting occurred a half-hour later while police were in pursuit of at least one suspect, maybe two on Doyle Street. A barrage of gunfire erupted that apparently left a suspect dead on Doyle Street.

Megan Kausch, a Capitola resident, was sitting outside Whole Foods reorganizing her purse when police swooped in.

Police came up, chasing a suspect who appeared to have two guns. She heard a barrage of gunfire. She ducked down and when she looked up saw the gun smoke. She believes the suspect on Doyle Street was shot dead.

"I've never been so close to a real shooting. It was so loud, so many bullets back and forth."

Police were on a citywide manhunt for several hours after the initial shooting. The FBI joined the investigation just after 4 p.m. as well as law enforcement from the sheriff's office, Capitola, Watsonville and Scotts Valley police departments and the California Highway Patrol.

Police Chief Kevin Vogel rushed out of a City Council meeting upon hearing the news.
City Manager Martin Bernal pulled Mayor Hilary Bryant out of the council meeting to discuss the shooting. Several people at the council meeting were crying.

Police issued Project ROPE for a white four-door Honda or Toyota Corolla seen leaving the scene of the Branciforte shooting. They were looking for a white male with long, blondish brown hair in his 20s with a backpack, gray baseball cap and white T-shirt.

Police put out a be on the lookout for Jeremy Peter Goulet, 35, described as 155 pounds, 5 feet 8 inches tall, blond hair, green eyes. It's unknown his relation to the case. The police bulletin said Goulet has three weapons registered to him including a .40-caliber semi-automatic Sig Sauer. Goulet was arrested by Santa Cruz police on Friday on suspicion of disorderly conduct at 801 N. Branciforte Ave., according to arrest records. He listed his occupation as a barista.

About 10 minutes after the first shooting police were called to 203 Stanford Ave. for a victim who said he was grazed by a bullet but was declining medical attention.
Santa Cruz resident Charlie May was inside his home on North Branciforte when the incident erupted, with dozens of police cars descending on the area.

"I actually went out to take a look and they shooed us all back," May said.

May heard the second burst of gunfire -- at least 15 shots, he estimated -- which occurred on Doyle Street near Whole Foods, about a half-block from his home.

"I imagine they got him. They've still got the whole block surrounded," May said.
Though his home is inside the police perimeter, May also said many spectators are gathering near the scene.

Melissa Stevens, who was waiting at Doyle Street where the street is blocked off for her son who is on lockdown at the Midtown Montessori School on Branciforte. She said the owner of the school said the students were all safe at the school.

"I'm sort of freaked out," Stevens said. "Everyone is safe, but as long as there is a shooter on the loose, I don't know what I should do."

Paul Rolen, who lives on the 800 block of Branciforte, said police told him there is a shooting suspect still barricaded in a building and he could not go to his house. He had just gotten off a bus from Cabrillo.

"It sucks and it's scarey," Rolen said.

Police also have issued a temporary flight restriction zone for an area above the shooting scenes.

Branciforte small schools and middle schools are on lockdown. The shooting happened after school let out. It's unclear if there were any students left at the campus.

Students from the locked down schools will be bused to the County Building to be picked up by parents.

Authorities have blocked North Branciforte Avenue from Water Street to Soquel Avenue. Soquel is also blocked from Cayuga Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. Doyle Street is blocked as well. Deputies with guns drawn are on Doyle Street.

At one point police has two sharpshooters on the roof of Whole Foods.

Follow J.M. Brown on Twitter at Twitter.com/jmbrownreports
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_22674808/breaking-2-officers-1-suspect-shot-santa-cruz