Sacramento cop killed on domestic violence call lay wounded for 45 minutes before police were able to get to her
In an unfortunate incident, a rookie police officer was reportedly shot and killed in Sacramento on Thursday. Officer Tara O'Sullivan, 26, was answering a domestic violence call and helping a woman collect her belongings so that she could get away from her home. She was shot at the scene and the gunman continued firing, leaving her colleagues helpless for 45 minutes as she lay wounded.
The police swarmed to the scene but the gunman, identified as 45-year-old Adel Sambrano Ramos, kept shooting. The standoff between the two lasted for approximately eight hours leading to Ramos' surrender. He has been booked on charges related to the cop's murder.
She and several other officers arrived at the home at 5:41 p.m. on Wednesday and within a half-hour O’Sullivan was hit with gunfire, police said. The gunman kept firing, and at 6:54 p.m. additional officers responded to retrieve O’Sullivan. She was transported within five minutes to UC Davis Medical Center, where she died.
However, the woman she was helping was not hurt. The details of the position of the shooter were not revealed. The suspect's brother, Orlando Ramos, told the Associated Press that the shooter had a history of domestic violence and drug abuse and has been in and out of jail for years.
"We are devastated," Deputy Chief Dave Peletta said at a news conference. "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."
Stephen Nasta, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former inspector with the New York Police Department, said that the efforts made by the police to rescue the wounded officer had been "unacceptable". "If there's somebody shot, lying on the ground, you have to do everything you can," Nasta said.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a statement to O'Sullivan's parents, family and fellow officers. "As a father, I am grieving with you," he said. "As mayor of the city she swore to protect, our city is heartbroken and we are here for you every step of the way."
The officer, who grew up in San Francisco Bay area, had graduated with a degree in child development from Sacramento State University. The community is devastated by the news. Sacramento State president Robert Nelson said that she had a big heart, a strong mind, a great personality. "She made you smile," Nelson said through tears. "She is exactly what we need in the police force. We will never forget her. She will always be a Hornet," Nelson said. "And we will aspire to be as good as she is."