Wellesley Police Chief Issues Statement on Palm Springs Officer Killings

WELLESLEY, MA – Wellesley Police Chief Terrence Cunningham on Sunday stood by the Palm Springs Police Department after the killings of two of their officers over the weekend.

Cunningham tweeted out condolences to the police force in Palm Springs, CA as they mourn the loss of officers Jose "Gil" Vega and Lesley Zerebny:

Officers Vega and Zerebny were fatally shot Saturday afternoon after responding to what they thought was a routine domestic disturbance call. A third officer was wounded in the standoff.

• See also: John Felix, Alleged Palm Springs Cop Killer, Had High-Capacity Magazines, Was Wearing Soft Body Armor
• Palm Springs Officers Shot: 2 Officers Killed, 3rd Wounded Responding to Domestic Disturbance; Suspect in Custody

As four officers approached the front door of the home where the incident was reported, they were met with gunfire through the closed entrance, police said. What followed was a lengthy standoff after which the alleged shooter surrendered peacefully to police.

The suspect in the killings, 26-year-old John Hernandez Felix, was wearing soft body armor and had several high capacity magazines in his possession, according to police.

Officer Vega, married with eight children, was a 35-year veteran of the police force due to retire in December. He was scheduled to be off Saturday but picked up an overtime shift. Officer Zerebny had recently returned from maternity leave and had a 4-month-old daughter. She was on the force for a year and a half and married to a sheriff's deputy in another department.

Renee Schiavone (Patch Staff) contributed to this report.

Photo Credit: Wellesley Police Department