Thousands Salute Slain Santa Cruz Officers

SANTA CRUZ, CA -- Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Santa Cruz's two fallen officers were victims of a society that looked away from the acts of the man who killed them, and he asked the thousands of people paying tribute to the officers at HP Pavilion not to do the same.

"At some point, somebody pays a price," said Panetta, who noted that the man who shot the officers had escaped justice in a series of crimes in and out of the military.

"These two fine officers did not look the other way. They drew the line. They were doing their job and they paid the ultimate price."

Panetta asked an arena of law enforcement officers, families and Santa Cruz residents to look after their communities the way these officers did.

"As members of their extended family, let us pledge that we will not look the other way."

It was one of the powerful moments in three hours of tribute and mourning for Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler, who were gunned down Feb. 26 while trying to interview shooter Jeremy Goulet, a suspect in a sexual assault charge.

Goulet was later shot and killed after he fired at other officers. He had been accused of two rapes in the military, but was given a deal to take a less-than-honorable discharge in exchange for dropping the charge. He also got light sentences in three other sex-related civilian cases.

Baker and Butler were remembered as people who truly cared about justice and about the community, and worked tirelessly for both by co-workers and family members.

Officers from local departments throughout the state filled the arena. Gov. Jerry Brown was in the audience but didn't speak. Among those that chose to share their thoughts: Santa Cruz Mayor Hilary Bryant, County Supervisor and former police spokesman Zach Friend, and State Attorney General Kamala Harris.

"For all of us the pain is still too fresh," said Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel.  "How do you fill the holes in our hearts? How do we take the next steps?"

These were the first Santa Cruz police officers killed in the line of duty.

"Some like Beth and Butch are drawn to protect the community," said Vogel. "We gather today to honor the lives of two such officers, two heroes, two friends taken from us far too soon at the hands of a madman."

Vogel steered mourners toward healing by seeing the positive work of these two officers.

Butler, 38, "had an unyielding passion and an unyielding faith in justice," Vogel said. She cared for "victims of crime, the underprivileged or just someone who needs an advocate. To Elizabeth, everyone was good at their core and everyone deserves empathy and a voice."

Of Baker, he added: "Butch did everything with every ounce of who he was. I'm going to miss his laughter in the halls of the police station. He loved his work. He loved the truth and he would stop at nothing to to get it. He's who I turned to when things got hard. He served Santa Cruz honorably and with a big smile."

Vogel thanked people who lit candles and set up memorials for the officers, adding that it helped the department through its toughest time.

"I love them and I'll miss them forever," Vogel said of the officers.

Mayor Hilary Bryant thanked the officers and wanted to "let them know that they demonstrated what we need to do to be good citizens."

"Law enforcement is not just a career," said Kamala Harris. "Police work is not just a job. This is a calling, a noble way of life. Wearing that badge is a statement and privilege earned by your ability to protect society. You put your lives on the line and your souls into your work."

Zach Friend said all the mourners were now part of the Santa Cruz Police family for giving their support during "the darkest days we ever faced."

Tears flowed openly when their families got up before thousands in the audience during the almost three-hour tribute.

Alexis Butler, Elizabeth's older sister, remembered their Valentine's Day sister-getaway together, the first time Elizabeth left her infant son. A film teacher in Culver City, she learned a lot about her sister and her job as strangers asked her questions about being a female officer.

"She wished there were more women doing the job," she recalled.

"Remember to take the time to celebrate your own families," she said, ending a tearful speech.

Butler's partner Peter Wu stood with one of her sons, Joaquin, 5, who wore a police hat. Wu pledged to take care of her loved ones and make sure her sons grow up to be "helpful, gentle and loved."

He added: "In times of uncertainty, her memory will serve as my guiding light."

Wu and Butler came to Santa Cruz after 9/11 to start a ceramics studio called Clay Digs, but she found her true calling as a police officer, where as a detective she could help uncover the truth.

Baker's daughter and son remembered their father "as the amazing husband and dad he was." Baker and his wife Kelly had been love interests since they were 10 and 11.

Baker's friend Jeff Rosell, an assistant district attorney, remembered Butch taking Kelly for a "romantic" walk on a northern beach that turned out to be not as picturesque as beaches closer to home. It turned out that Baker was "multitasking," looking for the site where someone may have dumped a murder victim.

Retired Santa Clara Sheriff's Deputy TK Davis and retired Sunnyvale policeman Bill Weber admired the speech by Santa Cruz Deputy Chief Steve Clark at the Nowhere Bar in San Jose after the ceremony.

Clark, who described himself and Butch as "knuckleheads," was asked by Baker's family to bring some lightness to the day, since Butch was a practical joker and funny guy.

Some of his stunts included taking out ads for a non-existent 6 a.m. garage sale at Clark's house, putting spinner hub caps on a superior's car to "pimp his ride" and listing another officer's house for sale while he was on vacation.

"Everyone who knew Butch knows they've been 'Butched' at least once," Clark said.

On a serious note, he added that "When the chips were down, Butch was the guy you wanted."

And he asked the crowd of civilians and officers to honor Baker by following the way a soldier described his life, saying that "at the end of the day, you will return with honor."

Clark asked the crowd to live their lives so that when they die and joins Baker and Butler and "are returned to their father and returned to their maker, that you can do that with honor."

—For comprehensive coverage of the Santa Cruz Police officers' shooting deaths, please see our topic page by clicking here.