California ambushes are a nightmare scenario for officers
/California ambushes are a nightmare scenario for officers
By: Robert Foreman
With the world’s attention focused on police conduct, one growing fear has emerged among many in law enforcement. What if an irate individual chooses to take matters into their own hands and target law enforcement officers during this turbulent time? Unfortunately, that fear became a tragic reality in California in which officers were either injured, or killed, during separate incidents in which they were ambushed by suspects. The first incident took place in Santa Cruz, California when Steven Carrillo ambushed and murdered Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller and wounded two other officers. Carrillo was ultimately shot during his arrest and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The nightmare ordeal in Santa Cruz began when deputies responded to a 911 call from someone who had spotted guns and bomb-making materials in Carrillo’s van. Deputies pursued the van to Carrillo’s driveway and they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives as they exited their vehicles. Deputy Sgt. Gutzwiller was wounded in the attack and died at the hospital. Another deputy was shot in the hand while a third deputy was injured by shrapnel or gunfire. Carrillo was ultimately shot and apprehended when he attempted to carjack a civilian.
The second ambush incident took place in Paso Robles, California when Mason James Lira shot three officers, and a civilian, in a 2-day period. Lira’s reign of terror began when he opened fire outside of a police station in Paso Robles. He shot one of the responding deputies in the face, which started a two-day manhunt. Lira is believed to have shot and killed a civilian near an Amtrak station the same day. The following day, Lira shot two other law enforcement officers, and was shot by officers as he tried to escape apprehension. All of the officers that were shot by Lira are alive and recovering from their injuries. Lira was previously arrested in May for making terrorist threats.
However, what makes the ambush scenario in Santa Cruz even more disturbing than Pablo Robles is that the assailant, Carrillo, was an active duty sergeant who was stationed at Travis Air Force Base. Additionally, Carrillo is believed to be the suspect who shot a federal officer in Oakland. The thought of an active duty soldier acting as a domestic terrorist on American soil against law enforcement officers seems like the plot of a bad Hollywood movie. Yet, as more information is revealed about Carrillo’s mindset the picture becomes even more chilling.
Prior to being arrested, Carrillo used blood to scrawl the phrases “I became unreasonable”, “boog” and “stop the duopoly” on the hood of a car. The word “Boog” is connected to an anti-government, libertarian movement that is looking to provoke a second Civil War in America. In fact, there have been instances of Boogaloo movement members attending Black Lives Matter protests in hopes of inciting violence. The FBI arrested three Boogaloo members in Nevada and charged them with inciting violence for using explosives, including Molotov cocktails, during the protests.
In addition to being charged with the murder of Deputy Sgt. Gutzwiller, Carrillo has also been charged with the attempted murder of the other officers, as well as the attempted murder of his intended carjacking victim. He has also been charged with assaulting a firefighter. The fact that Carrillo was ‘lying in wait’ to commit his crimes means he could potentially face the death penalty. Perhaps, that is why his defense attorney is already laying the groundwork for an insanity defense by claiming that Carrillo suffered a traumatic brain injury and was under emotional distress.
Lira’s father also pointed to his late son’s emotional and mental stability following his son’s death after the Pablo Robles’ ambush. The elder Lira has stated that his son suffered from Aspergers syndrome, Schizophrenia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly known as ADHD. He also believed that his late son’s attack on the police station was a suicide attempt after a history of not taking his medication and being in and out of jail and treatment centers.
However, regardless of what emotional or mental illnesses that either Carrillo or Lira may, or may not, have been suffering from it does not excuse their actions. Both men plotted out a reign of terror and specifically targeted members of law enforcement. So, there is no excuse for their actions. In the case of Carrillo, he betrayed his oath to his country by both targeting members of law enforcement and by aligning himself with the Boogaloo movement. So, regardless of what defense his attorney tries to come up with to lessen his client’s prison time, or spare him from the death penalty, it should fall on deaf ears. Once you carefully plan out an attack in advance, and target a specific group of people, you were in your right mind and knew right from wrong. So, hopefully, Carrillo will get the punishment he deserves; either life in prison or the death penalty.
Yet, no punishment for Carrillo will bring Deputy Sgt. Gutzwiller back to life, or ease the pain that his family and fellow officers are feeling, after his senseless death. Just as Lira’s death will not bring back the civilian he killed near the Amtrak station. However, these incidents should serve as a warning to all law enforcement officers to take extra safety precautions during these turbulent times. One cannot be sure if the call you are dealing with is an actual crime in progress or someone 'lying in wait' to take your life because of the uniform that you are wearing, as was the case with Deputy Sgt. Gutzwiller. So, officers must continue to balance out the need to protect civilians while also taking extra precautions to ensure that they are able to return home to their families at the end of their shift. The days, weeks and months ahead will be fraught with turmoil, but staying safe is always the top priority.
