Santa Cruz’s First Fatal Shooting of Two Law Enforcement Officers

The community of Santa Cruz California is very sad, due to the fatal shooting of two law enforcement officers on February 26, 2013. When I heard this on the news, I thought in Santa Cruz you never hear about police officers being killed like Oakland. Santa Cruz has always been known as the ‘sleepy little town by the sea’ with very little violence. Recently that has not been the case. There have been some real violent crimes in Santa Cruz in the month of February. On February 9, 2013 martial arts instructor was fatally shot outside a downtown bar. February 11, 2013 a 21-year-old UC Santa Cruz student was robbed of her backpack and shot in the head while waiting for a bus. Law enforcement in Santa Cruz has always been laid back. That laid back attitude got two officers killed by Jeremy Goulet a very disturbed individual. He shot and killed Detective Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker, a 28-year veteran who was near retirement, and Detective Elizabeth Butler, a mother of two young boys. They were the first law enforcement officers ever killed in the department’s history. The two officers went to Jeremy Goulet’s home to question him about inappropriate sexual advances toward a co-worker at the coffee shop where he was fired from. Jeremy was talking to the officer through a screened door. He left that location and came out another ambushing the officers killing them. After killing them Goulet took their weapons, car and officer’s Barker’s body armor and fled. Twenty five minutes later law enforcement officers found Jeremy Goulet. Exchanged gunfire with him and fatally wounding him. Jeremy’s Goulet has had trouble in the past. He was charge with alleged raps while in the military in 2006. The Army dropped all charges. That was a big mistake on the military’s part. While living in Oregon in 2008, he was convicted on weapons charges and of peeping at a woman while she showered. Goulet's father told The Associated Press that his son, who had served in the military, was a ticking time bomb who had contempt for police and the justice system. Well, I guess the bomb blew and unfortunately it happened to be in Santa Cruz California. That is why we need stricter gun laws because there are some very sick individuals out there that don’t need to get their hands on guns. My prayers go out to the families and the community of Santa Cruz.

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22682927/coastal-town-santa-cruz-reels-from-shooting-deaths

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/santa-cruz-shooting_n_2770724.html

Three Children from Watsonville Accused in Brutal Attack on Three Kittens

Our Children are supposed to be our future. Well on July 29, 2012 two girls and one boy from Watsonville under the age of 10, viciously attacked three kittens. A witness reported it to the authorities and gave a description of the children. The Santa Cruz County animal shelter manager found the kittens in the street. One of the children threw a kitten against a wall causing severe brain damage causing it to be euthanized. The Shelter manager also found the other two kittens with rope tied around their necks, restricting their breathing. Thank God, they survived. The National School Safety Council, the U.S. Department of Education, the American Psychological Association, and the National Crime Prevention Council all agree that animal cruelty is a warning sign for at-risk youth. Studies show that chronic physical aggression (e.g., animal cruelty) by elementary school boys increases the likelihood they will commit continued physical violence as well as other nonviolent forms of delinquency during adolescence.[vi] A child who abuses animals may also be acting out against violence in his own home.[vii]. Professional intervention can remove a child from a potentially abusive situation and divert him or her from future abusive behavior. Experts agree that early prevention and treatment of animal cruelty is the key to stopping the cycle of violence, because as aggressive children get older, they are less responsive to therapeutic intervention. I think animal cruelty at an early age is signs of a sociopath that will grow up being an abuser or serial killer. The parents of these three children should be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and neglect. Not to know where your young child is and what they’re doing is neglect. Both the children and the parents should also have serious counseling. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter officials asked authorities to charge them with felony animal cruelty. I’m so glad these three children were caught I don’t want to imagine what they would have grown up to be. Maybe it is not too late for them. In the song “The Greatest Love Of All” the opening the first verse says it all.

“I believe the children are our future; teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride, to make it easier; let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”

LM

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/08/03/kitten-killed-2-hurt-in-brutal-animal-cruelty-allegedly-by-watsonville-children/

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/qa/cruelty_violence_connectio

One Person Dies While Riding on Party Bus Going To Santa Cruz

On July 27, 2012 a party bus traveling on highway 17 going to Santa Cruz was the scene of a accident. The bus was carrying Natasha Noland and fellow passenger’s home to Santa Cruz. A fight broke out between the 25-year-old Noland and a 20-year-old woman from Felton. 

Natasha Noland some how toppled out of the door of the moving bus and died. According to California Highway Patrol they had a hard time questioning the passengers, because everyone except the driver was drunk. Noland's boyfriend, Bryan Jeffrey Larson, 33, of Santa Cruz was arrested after he kicked an officer several times and kicked out the window of a patrol car. Along with Larson, Hunter John Richardson, 19, of Santa Cruz, was arrested on charges of public intoxication and obstructing officers. Officers seized the black, 1998 Ford bus and plan to contact the 12 to 15 people believed to have been on board. Several passengers fled the scene some were suspected of being underage drinkers. The authorities are still trying to piece together what happened. Two years ago teenager Brett Studebaker was killed on Highway 101 near San Mateo in a car crash after leaving a party bus, after a night of heavy drinking. Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, describes party buses as "Booze cruises, a party on wheels." He has authored a bill to rein in the party bus companies and make them assume responsibility for their passengers, including minors drinking on board. Party Buses have become very popular in the Bay Area cities. They shuttle teenagers and adults to hot spots, nightclubs and bars in big-cities. Some buses cater to bachelor or birthday parties while others bring together strangers for a pub crawl or ride to a concert. These party bus riders have become more rowdy. The City of Walnut Creek has made it known that party buses are not welcome in their town. The residents of Campbell have blamed the rowdiness of their new downtown partly on the party bus. In San Francisco a North Beach Club called Monroe is no longer permitting patrons from party buses to come inside. The owner Nader Marvi told KTVU. "I know of incidents where there is, let's say, 25, 30 guys who come into the club to cause problems. Security gets involved, and the security is outnumbered. They start beating up on security guards."

I think there should be employees from the party bus company on board to make sure things don’t get out of hand. If it does than the party bus company should have the right to return the patrons back to where they started without them knowing. This should be in every party bus company contract. It was a sad situation what happened to Natasha Noland. It is not surprising something like this was bound to happen. Put a bunch of drunken idiots together, who have been partying all night is a recipe for disaster. I don’t think it’s the party bus that is the problem. It is the people who choose to get out of hand. The bill Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo is trying to get passed I think will help the party bus companies adhere to a better and safe practice. Not just make it about the money they generate.

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_21195152/party-buses-hidden-world-drinking-parties-and-debauchery?nstrack=sid:12103806|met:300|cat:0|order:3

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/party-buses-san-francisco-opposition_n_1498220.html