Irineo Ramirez was arrested on Jan. 8 for several gun-related charges after he allegedly fired a gun. — via WPD Facebook
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police arrested a man on Jan. 8 for several gun-related charges after he allegedly fired a gun.
Irineo Ramirez, 42, was charged with unlawfully discharging a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and possession of a gun not registered to him. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, jail records showed.
Irineo Ramirez.
Night shift officers responded to River Park on East Front Street for a report of a man waving a gun, and that shots had been fired, WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.
When they arrived, the officers saw Ramirez near a parked SUV. As they approached him, they noticed he was hiding his right hand while his left arm was up in the air, Pulido said.
Officers suspected Ramirez could be armed, so they drew their guns and told him to show his hands and drop anything he was holding.
He then brought his right hand forward, revealing a large revolver in his hand.
“It’s here where things could have gone south, but our officers remained calm and continued to give Ramirez several commands to drop the gun,” Pulido said. “He eventually put the gun down and complied with officers’ orders to lie down on the ground.”
Ramirez later told officers he shot one round into the air. No one was injured, and damages were only reported on the suspect’s SUV. Officers also located a replica firearm inside the SUV.
Pulido said that WPD does not normally post videos that depict the tense situations law enforcement officials occasionally find themselves.
“However, this is an opportunity to give residents a better understanding of what our officers encounter out in the streets and how their training immediately kicks in,” she said.
A safe ending to a dangerous encounter after reports of shots fired in a neighborhood.First, we’d like to point out that we normally don’t put out these types of videos. However, this is an opportunity to give residents a better understanding of what our officers encounter out in the streets and how their training immediately kicks in.Last week, our night shift officers responded to River Park on E. Front Street for a report of a disturbance. As they made their way to the area, 9-1-1 dispatchers alerted them about a man in a red shirt waving a gun. They were also informed that shots had been fired.Officers quickly spotted the man, later identified as 42-year-old Irineo Ramirez, near a parked SUV and as they approached him, they noticed he was hiding his right hand while his left arm was up in the air. Officers suspected Ramirez could be armed, so they drew their guns and immediately gave him commands to show his hands and drop anything he was holding.The 42-year-old slowly brought his right hand forward, revealing a large revolver in his hand.It’s here where things could have gone south but our officers remained calm and continued to give Ramirez several commands to drop the gun. He eventually put the gun down and complied with officers’ orders to lie down on the ground.A team of officers moved in and arrested Ramirez, who later told officers he shot one round into the air. Fortunately, no one was injured and damages were only reported on the suspect’s SUV. Officers also located a replica firearm inside the SUV.Ramirez was booked into county jail for unlawfully discharging a firearm and other gun-related charges.We all know how dangerous the job can be and that’s why we train. This video is an example of how close it can be between having a positive outcome and something we all want to avoid.
Aptos completed the regular season series sweep against Scotts Valley following a 5-2 victory in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League action Oct. 15.
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