Officer killed by freaked out Modesto Marine drafted for 3rd tour

Police are trying to determine if the shooter, 19-year-old Andres Raya of Modesto, wanted to die in what authorities call "suicide by cop." Raya's family told police that he was afraid he would be sent back to Iraq for a third stint of duty, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

"We're still in the very early stages of investigating this," said Deputy Jason Woodman of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department. "We still have a long way to go."

Raya was supposed to have reported for duty to Camp Pendleton on Sunday after taking holiday leave but instead left the San Diego area Saturday night to return home.

The incident began when someone at a liquor store reported to police that a man had come into the store with a shotgun and left on foot.

Ryno, 50, arrived on scene and was fired upon by Raya and hit, police said. Stevenson, 39, then showed up and was shot twice in the head, according to police, before Raya fled.

Raya was tracked down by other officers who converged to the area. Police say he initiated a second gunfight, during which he was shot and killed.

Woodman said the rifle Raya used was illegal and had not been issued to him by the military.

Several houses in the neighborhood, north of Ceres High School, were evacuated, and the area was kept locked down for about two-and-a-half hours, officers said. Officers went door to door, asking residents to lock their doors and turn off their lights, said Vito Fontana, 63, a local resident who watched the police in action.

Stevenson had been a member of the Ceres police force for 20 years and is survived by his wife and three children.