Two Cops Killed in Santa Cruz — Gilroy PD Responds

Police departments across California are in mourning following the death of two Santa Cruz police officers, who were gunned down during a domestic dispute investigation on Tuesday afternoon.

Gilroy Police Chief Denise Turner personally sent an email to the Santa Cruz Police Chief offering condolences and any resources that Santa Cruz might need, Sgt. Pedro Espinoza told Gilroy Patch.

"It's been a very voilent start of the year for law enforcement," he said. "It is rare and it hits home, especially for the smaller communities ... where one way or another, every officer worked with the officers who were killed."

Espinoza said that the next steps for Santa Cruz as a community and a police department are incredibly difficult.

"They have the primary issue of two dead officers. They have to help their grieving families, and they also are a grieving police department," he said.

So how can a police department in mourning continue to do its job of protecting the community? With a lot of help.

"Luckily there's been a lot of support from allied agencies," Espinoza said. "But it's still something you can never prepare for. It breaks the police department. Everyone knows each other."