Investigators release officers names involved in Sand City shootout

Investigators have identified the two wounded officers and a third suspect in the Monday afternoon officer-involved shooting outside the Sand City Target.

The officers are 9-year-veteran Larry Escobar and 14-year-veteran Jeff Bushnell, with the Sand City Police Department, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said in a written statement.

Both Escobar and Bushnell are home recovering from their injuries, investigators said.

It’s not clear whether or not the suspect, Gregory Allen Warren, 35, was directly involved in the shooting that killed the two primary suspects, William Spaits and Tina Money, and injured the two officers.

Investigators said Warren was sitting in the back seat of a stolen car when the shooting occurred.

At the same scene, Escobar and Bushnell tried to peacefully contact Spaits and his girlfriend Money on multiple warrants.

The DA’s office said Warren will appear before a judge Thursday for an alleged probation violation.

“Since he’s on probation, there are certain conditions that are alleged that he had violated, such as associated with other persons on probation or parole,” said Rolando Mazariegos, the assistant district attorney.

As of last year, Warren pleaded no contest to possession of a firearm, according to court records. In early June this year, he was sentenced to three years of probation.

Investigators are still figuring out if the shooting was justified from the officers’ perspective.

Spaits was a convicted felon, including a burglary charge and identity theft, according to court records.

Money also had a record, including alcohol-related reckless driving and drug convictions.