“Every day, police officers bravely place themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities and keep us safe. Yesterday, detective Sgt. Loran ‘Butch’ Baker and detective Elizabeth Butler of the Santa Cruz Police Department sacrificed their lives during that service. These two heroes represent the best of Santa Cruz and their deaths are a tragedy. 

“I join with all residents of the Central Coast, to mourn this shooting and to pay our respects to these two outstanding officers. Our prayers and sympathies are with the families and loved ones of the officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. As a community, we promise that the sacrifices of officers Baker and Butler will not be forgotten.

“While the words of comfort we offer today are sincere, our actions and deeds will be the true test of our resolve. As this investigation continues, many questions will surface, including ‘How was an individual with such a troubled past able to obtain firearms?’ If we are truly committed to ending gun violence in our communities, we must be willing to answer that question and seek real solutions to prevent this type of senseless shooting from occurring again. We owe that much to the brave men and women who put on a police uniform every day. We must be willing to protect those who so bravely protect us.”