Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Killed in Organized Ambush of Gunfire, Explosives

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Jun 7, 2020

As left-wing activists wage a figurative war on law enforcement officers nationwide, a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputy was killed in a planned ambush in the northern California county on Saturday night.

Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was shot and killed in the small town of Ben Lomond while seeking to apprehend a carjacking suspect who had fled police after a 911 call warned the authorities of potential explosive devices being kept inside a van.

The police followed Steven Carillo to his home, where they were ambushed with a hail of gunfire and the detonation of improvised explosives. Carillo was arrested as he tried to carjack a nearby vehicle in hopes of escaping law enforcement. Authorities have confirmed that Carillo is being charged with first-degree murder after Gutzwiller died at an area hospital.

Two other law enforcement officers were injured in the ambush, both non-fatally. A California Highway Patrol officer was shot in the hand. It’s still unclear what Carillo was planning with the manufactured explosives, and it’s possible that the devices could have been used in an even more lethal fashion against law enforcement.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department is describing Gutzwiller as a husband and a father, who was preparing for his wife to give birth to a new child.

“Damon showed up today to do his job, to keep this community safe, and his life was taken needlessly,” recounted Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart.

Purported footage of Carillo’s arrest appears to show the homicide suspect making anti-police remarks as he’s brought into custody, complaining about police use of force and stating that he was sick of law enforcement.

As the left proceeds in its political vendetta against law enforcement, one California family has been robbed of its father through heinous violence targeting the police.