SACRAMENTO — The man accused of killing a Sacramento police officer appeared in court Monday.
Adel Sambrano Ramos was taken to the hospital Sunday after the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office he hit his head against a bedpost in his jail cell. He was being monitored Monday before his appearance in court.
Ramos appeared with a large bandage on his forehead.
The hearing itself was brief, with Ramos’ next court date set for July 22 at 8:30 a.m.
Public defender Diana Howard, who is also representing Joseph DeAngelo, the accused East Area Rapist, has taken Ramos’ case.
Ramos, 45, is charged with the murder of Officer Tara O’Sullivan, the attempted murder of another officer and possessing two illegal assault rifles. The charges include special circumstances, including that he killed her while lying in wait.
Read the criminal complaint against Ramos below.
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The special circumstances allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Ramos, though that decision would be months away and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed a moratorium on executions.
“It’s going to take a long time to process the crime scene. My guess is the charging document may have some additional counts as time goes on,” Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Rod Norgaard said.
O’Sullivan, 26, was shot several times and one of the wounds was “non-survivable,” Sgt. Vance Chandler said at a late Friday news conference during which police released body camera video of the Wednesday night confrontation in North Sacramento.
The department has been under scrutiny because it took 45 minutes to rescue the downed officer, who died at a hospital.
“There was nothing that could have been done to save her life. The nature of that injury is such that it could happen in an emergency room and she would not be savable,” Norgaard told reporters. “So, I find it very disheartening that people are criticizing the police response time to evacuate her. That has no merit whatsoever.”
Police Chief Daniel Hahn said the gunman had stashed two assault rifles, a shotgun and a handgun in different rooms and opened fire as officers knocked on the door.
Officers arrested Ramos early Thursday morning after an hourslong standoff, during which police say Ramos and officers periodically exchanged gunfire. Police described the gunman as strategically shooting at officers for hours, using all the weapons in different rooms.
