Media coverage last week after the shooting of two officers by Jeremy Peter Goulet. Photo by Chip Scheuer.
One of the most sobering facts to come to light after last week’s tragedy is that Jeremy Peter Goulet, the 35-year-old man who shot and killed two Santa Cruz police officers, could potentially have been behind bars at the time the shooting occurred.
Goulet was arrested early Friday morning, Feb. 22, on suspicion of drunk and disorderly conduct when, after a night out drinking with a female coworker, her roommate and another man, he entered the coworker’s home, climbed into bed with her roommate, made sexual advances and refused to leave. He was released hours later without having to pay bail, which is typical for intoxication arrests, Deputy Chief Steve Clark told The Sentinel.
However, if Goulet had been originally arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, the bail amount would have been $10,000 or more.
What’s worse is that Goulet’s record of escaping sexual assault charges did not begin in Santa Cruz. In 2008, he was on trial in Oregon for peeping into the window of a 22-year-old woman as she showered, reported the Oregonian. He admitted during a trial that he frequently videotaped women in various states of undress without their knowledge. At his hearing, Goulet was given the choice between undergoing sex-offender treatment or serving a two-to-three-month jail sentence. Prosecutor Greg Moawad asked for the treatment, saying it was in the best interest of public safety. Goulet chose the jail time.
And in 2006, the former Army helicopter pilot was accused of raping two female officers while stationed in Hawaii. The army dropped both the rape cases in exchange for his agreement to accept an “other than honorable discharge.”
According to the U.S. Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey, sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with 54 percent going unreported.
