DA Plans To Seek Death Penalty Against Suspect In Sacramento Officer's Killing

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Despite the moratorium on executions, prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing a Sacramento police officer.

Officer Tara O'Sullivan was killed in what has been described as an ambush attack back in June 2019.

The suspect in her killing, Adel Ramos, reportedly shot Officer O'Sullivan with a high-powered rifle, then continued firing before barricading himself inside his North Sacramento home. He eventually surrendered after an hours-long standoff.

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Records show Ramos has a long criminal history dating back to the mid-1990s.

In Thursday's court hearing on the case, the district attorney filed additional charges against Ramos. He is now also being charged with the attempted murder of seven other law enforcement officers, along with other weapons violations.

The DA also announced they would be seeking the death penalty against Ramos, if he is convicted.

There are a total of 728 inmates on California's death row as of January 2020. Earlier in 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a moratorium on executions and the new – but never used – lethal injection chamber at San Quentin State Prison was shuttered.

California's last execution happened in 2006 when Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, was governor. Since then, executions have been tied up in court over lethal injection regulations.

A 2016 ballot measure that aimed to speed up the punishment was narrowly approved by California voters, but executions have still remained on hold.