SACRAMENTO, Calif — In what was a less-than three minute court appearance Thursday, the man accused of killing a Sacramento Police Officer last summer heard from prosecutors that they will be seeking the death penalty.
Adel Sambrano Ramos, 46, now faces 13 charges in the June 2019 shooting death of rookie police officer Tara O'Sullivan. Originally, Ramos faced four charges after the shooting — one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and two counts of possessing an assault rifle.
Prosecutors added seven more counts of attempted murder on several Sacramento Police officers and Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies. Ramos is also facing three more counts of modifying and manufacturing assault weapons.
The amended complaint from District Attorney Anne Marie-Schubert makes Ramos eligible for the death penalty, something that Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on in March 2019.
Around 100 officers, most of whom were with the Sacramento Police Department, were in attendance to hear the prosecutors say they'll be seeking the death penalty.
On June 19, 2019, O'Sullivan was helping a woman get her belongings following reports a domestic disturbance at her north Sacramento home. While walking the woman across the lawn, Ramos allegedly opened fire from inside of the house.
O'Sullivan was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Ramos had lengthy history of domestic violence dating back to 1998 when he was arrested and sentenced to three years probation. In 2003, Ramos was again arrested for domestic violence against his then-wife.
In 2007, Ramos was taken to court and accused of domestic violence, but the case was dismissed. Ramos was arrested in November 2018 for assault and battery. That case has yet to be settled.
Ramos is slated to be back in court on May 6.
READ MORE FROM ABC10:
- Sacramento police, community mourn slain Officer Tara O'Sullivan
- Man accused of killing Officer Tara O'Sullivan injures himself in jail, sheriff's official says
- Watch: Sacramento Police Department releases body camera footage of Officer O'Sullivan shooting
- Man who allegedly killed Sacramento Police Officer has history of domestic violence, court records show
- Who was Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan?
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