PO Jorge David Alvarado, Jr.
Officer: Salinas Police Department, Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado, Jr.
Date: 2/25/2022 Location: Salinas, CA FACTORS (1,2,7,8,15,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Gustavo Matias Morales
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, since 2015 Morales has prior arrests for selling drugs, DUI, battery, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant and cruelty to child by inflicting injury./ Yes, Morales illegally possessed a firearm and ambushed Officer Alvarado.
Mental Illness: None stated.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, Morales has prior drug/alcohol related arrests./ Unknown.
Race/Sex/Age: Latino/Male/31
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? On February 25, 2022, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Salinas Police Officer Jorge Alvarado, Jr. conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Gustavo Morales for a traffic infraction.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Morales brought his vehicle to a sudden stop, jumped out of it and advanced towards Officer Alvarado’s police car while repeatedly shooting at him.
Reactions by the police: Though fatally wounded, Officer Alvarado managed to access his duty weapon while still seated in his vehicle and return fire, hitting Morales in the hand. When Morales went to a hospital for medical care, law enforcement was alerted, responded and arrested him.
How murdered? Officer Alvarado was ambushed and fatally shot during a traffic stop.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Officer Alvarado made a textbook stop and did nothing wrong, however as ambushes upon officer’s have increased in recent years - every officer should be prepared to engage with an armed subject as soon as they make a traffic stop or respond to a 911 call.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Officer Alvarado would have been justified to use deadly force as soon as he observed Morales exiting his vehicle holding a weapon or making a furtive movement to access one.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Morales has been charged with murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle.
Miscellaneous: Morales’ probation was revoked in 2019 and he should have still been in prison.
