In a press conference Friday, Zimmerman pointed to recent data released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund that found a 78 percent uptick in the number of firearms related police deaths, calling the figure “tragic”.
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As of Friday, 34 US law enforcement officers had died from shootings in 2016, a 79% increase from the total in the same period past year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which keeps data on officers killed on the job.
After visiting Irwin at UC San Diego Medical Center early Friday, Zimmerman told reporters that the officer’s prospects for recovery were good.
In a subsequent update, Zimmerman revealed without further comment that the police have reviewed footage from the police body cams.
A police officer used a bullhorn to urge a man to leave the house and police detonated several loud devices.
Authorities around the US remain on high alert following the murders of five police officers in Dallas and three in Baton Rouge, La., earlier this month.
It was unclear whether the standoff was related to the shootout with the officers.
Police arrested Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, shortly after the incident about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the Chollas Creek ravine just south of the site of the shooting, Zimmerman said.
Irwin is a nine-year veteran of the police force.
Chief Shelley Zimmerman says in a Twitter post Friday morning that she had just left the hospital where the officer had just come out of surgery.
Zimmerman said it was not clear whether the officers had made a traffic stop or a pedestrian stop. The 43-year-old died at Scripps Mercy Hospital after doctors’ efforts to save him failed.
Seconds later they radioed for back-up. “We grieve for our fallen officer and stand with his family during this very hard time”.
Zimmerman said late Friday afternoon that officers arrested a man in the area on an unrelated warrant. “I know him. He talked about his children every day”.
The second officer – father to a 19-month-old child – was taken by ambulance to another hospital, underwent surgery and is expected to survive. In August of 2003, DeGuzman was awarded the Purple Heart after he was stabbed during a routine traffic stop.
Ignacio Canela, an ex-convict who had led officers in a pursuit before running into the storm drain beneath state Route 15, was sentenced in June to 54 years to life in prison for premeditated attempted murder.
The last two San Diego police officers slain in the line of duty were Christopher Wilson and Jeremy Henwood.
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“I told both families that this city is behind you and it’s going to stay behind you, anything that they need, ” Faulconer said.
