On January 9, 2005, Sergeant Howard King Stevenson of the Ceres Police Department was tragically killed in the line of duty. At the age of 39, Sergeant Stevenson responded to a call about a suspicious person at a liquor store on North Central Avenue in Ceres, California. The suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Andreas Raya, was reportedly acting erratically and was armed. Upon arrival, the first officer on the scene, Sergeant Sam Ryno, was shot and wounded by Raya. Officer John King, who arrived shortly after, returned fire and helped pull Sergeant Ryno to safety.
Sergeant Stevenson arrived at the scene and immediately engaged the suspect. Despite firing eight shots, he was struck three times in his torso and legs. As he lay on the ground, Raya shot him twice in the head, resulting in his death. The suspect then exchanged gunfire with other responding officers before fleeing the scene. Approximately three hours later, Raya was shot and killed during a second shootout with police. It was later determined that Raya was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the incident.
Sergeant Stevenson had served with the Ceres Police Department for 20 years, holding various roles including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Detective, and Range Master. At the time of his death, he was a Patrol Sergeant and SWAT Team Leader. He was survived by his wife, Kathy, and three children. His death marked the first line-of-duty death for the Ceres Police Department, and his legacy is honored with his identification number, 143, displayed on the SWAT armored vehicle.
The investigation into the incident revealed that Raya, a gang member, had planned the attack as a form of "suicide by cop." There were no further arrests or litigations related to the case, as the primary suspect was killed during the confrontation with law enforcement. The tragic event highlighted the dangers faced by police officers and led to increased awareness and training within the department to prevent similar incidents in the future.
