SALINAS, Calif.- A surprise attack, not meant for the bad guy, but for police officers.
A new national study shows the number of officers killed in the line of duty will increase for the second year in a row. Of those deaths, ambush stye shootings rose the most.
New numbers from the United States Justice Department shows 73% of officers shot and killed on duty this year were ambush or surprise attacks. It's something Salinas police said they are well aware of and faced recently during an interrupted home invasion.
Salinas police got the call saying two victims of a home invasion were chasing the suspect down the street, "From here they chase the suspect down Del Monte on to Burke St., towards the dead end of Burke," said Commander Dave Shaw.
That's when police said Mario Calderon ditched the stolen property and tried to ditch the victims, "He removed the gun from his waistband and pointed it at the victims who were chasing him and they did the right thing by backing away and letting him go, however they had already called us and we had officers responding."
The officer saw Calderon running from Alisal High School across the street into a neighborhood and the second chase was on, "Normally the person with the weapon tries to get rid of it, they don't want to get caught with it, this person didn't."
That was the first sign for the officer something was different.
The suspect hid in a sideyard, garage area on Verona Court. The officer cornered him, but that's when he said things got even more suspicious.
"The suspect didn't give up and didn't continue running...He ducked into a garage and kept peeking in and out of the garage which put the officer on edge."
Calderon evetually surrendered and police found the loaded gun in the garage where he was hiding, but officers know it could've easily gone another way.
"It appeared to us that he was probably trying to suck the officer in to the backyard and the very real possibility of an ambush type shooting was our concern," said Shaw.
It's a reality Salinas police said is now part of the job.
"Gangmembers in particular are getting direction to stand up to the police...Every few years we'll get intelligence that indicates that especially gangs, are preparing to take us on and not follow directions...Be more bold if you will."
In March, police departments were directed by the Justice Department to require officers to wear body armor or risk losing millions of dollars in federal aid.
Salinas police said last year it made body armor a requirement for all officers. Both Santa Cruz and Watsonville police departments also require it.
