Feb. 27 (UPI) — A traffic stop in Central California turned deadly after the subject in the stop opened fire, killing a police officer, authorities said.
Salinas police officer Jorge David “JD” Alvarado, 30, died in the Friday night shooting, the department announced Saturday.
“Officer Alvarado’s heroic action during the confrontation directly led to the arrest of the suspect,” a statement on the Salinas Police Department’s Facebook page said.
Alvarado was a five-year veteran on the force.
Authorities declined to release information about the suspect, only saying the person is in custody.
The Monterey County Weekly reported that Alvarado’s death was the first Salinas police officer killed in the line of duty in nearly 80 years.
“A tragedy such as this — the death of an officer while performing his duties — takes a huge toll on a police department,” Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said during a news conference Saturday.
Salinas is located about 60 miles south of San Jose and is the county seat and most populous city in Monterey County.
