Archives: Fallen Officers

Jonathan M. De Guzman

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, 2016, Officer Jonathan “JD” De Guzman and Officer Wade Irwin, members of San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit, radioed they were conducting a stop in the 3700 block of Acadia Grove Way near Boston Avenue in San Diego’s Southcrest neighborhood. Almost immediately, they called for emergency cover. Responding officers found both Officer De Guzman and Officer Irwin with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. Officer Irwin, a 9-year veteran, underwent surgery and survived. Tragically, Officer De Guzman did not.

A massive manhunt for the suspects was launched through Boston Avenue and surrounding areas. One suspect, wounded while being taken into custody in a ravine area off South 38th Street, was hospitalized in critical condition. The second suspect was arrested July 29 after an hours-long standoff with the SWAT team.

Officer De Guzman, age 43, is survived by his wife and two young children. A 16-year department veteran, Officer De Guzman was awarded SDPD’s purple heart in 2003 after being stabbed by a suspect he stopped for speeding.

Michael J. Katherman

At approximately 4:22 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, Officer Michael Katherman of the San Jose Police Department was on patrol riding his department-issued motorcycle northbound on 10th Street when he collided with a silver minivan turning left onto Horning Street. Witnesses performed CPR on Officer Katherman and used his radio to call for assistance. The driver of the minivan remained on scene. Drugs or alcohol use were not suspected of the driver, who was not taken into custody. Officer Katherman was rushed to Regional Medical Center where, despite every effort of medical personnel, he succumbed to his injuries.

Officer Katherman served with the San Jose Police Department for 11 years. He is survived by his wife and two school-age sons.

Anthony A. Giniewicz

Anthony Giniewicz was born in 1953 in Massachusetts.  He graduated from Bridgewater High School in 1971.  He lettered in high school football.  Giniewicz went on to attend Worchester Poly Tech in Massachusetts.  While in college, he was an avid hunter and athlete who enjoyed rowing in the Charles River Regatta and participating in track.  He left college and sailed from Massachusetts to Costa Rica.

Prior to working as a police officer, Giniewicz worked for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections for five years.  He was hired by the Signal Hill Police Department in 1983.  He attended the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy in May 1984.  Giniewicz worked patrol and received several letters of commendation.

On February 20, 1985, Officer Giniewicz was critically injured and paralyzed after being shot while responding to a robbery at a restaurant in Long Beach.  Giniewicz and his partner, Officer Steve Owens, had gone to a restaurant after going off duty.  As Officer Owens left the restaurant he was assaulted by three armed men in the parking lot, who took his wallet and personal handgun.  Officer Owens summoned Giniewicz and the two went back outside where they were shot at from the suspect vehicle as it pulled away.  Officer Giniewicz fired back before he was struck, but the suspects were able to escape.

“Although Tony was off-duty when he was injured in 1985, he quickly responded to the situation and engaged the robbery suspects before being shot,” Signal Hill Police Chief Michael Langston said. “We will always be grateful to Tony for his selfless actions serving the community.”

Despite the challenges, Giniewicz continued to enjoy many hobbies.  He was a member of the NRA and Blue Knight Enforcement Motorcycle Club.  His enthusiasm never waned for motorcycles, even buying a Harley with a sidecar so he could continue to ride.  He loved all of Boston’s sports teams and rooted for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics.  He enjoyed Formula One racing and was an avid reader.  In the academy, his class nicknamed him “The Professor” – a name that stuck throughout his career.

Although he survived for many years, Officer Giniewicz was besieged with a myriad of injuries and complications from the shooting and resulting paralysis.  Tragically, he succumbed to those medical complications on December 7, 2011.

Officer Giniewicz is survived by his mother Nellie, son Anthony, stepchildren John and Barbara, sisters Paula, Linda, Elaine, Christine, Diane and Laurie, and former wife Barbara.

James Capoot

On the afternoon of November 17, 2011, Vallejo PD Officer Jim Capoot was responding to a bank robbery at a North Vallejo Bank of America, when he spotted a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle involved.  A pursuit ensued until the 100 block of Janice Street where Officer Capoot executed a pit maneuver on the suspect’s vehicle.  The suspect abandoned his vehicle and Capoot gave chase on foot into a residential neighborhood.  Responding officers heard gunshots and found Officer Capoot down in the backyard of a residence.  Capoot was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.  One suspect has been arrested in this case.

Jim Capoot, age 45, began his law enforcement career with the California Highway Patrol in 1990. In 1992 he left the CHP to become a Police Officer for the City of Vallejo.  Over the course of his career, Capoot has served as a motorcycle officer, motorcycle instructor, driving instructor, force options instructor, and SWAT officer.  He has received two Vallejo Police Department Medals of Courage, two Life-Saving Medals, and various other departmental commendations.  Before beginning his career in law enforcement, Capoot served our country in the United States Marine Corps.

Officer Capoot is survived by his wife Jennifer and their three daughters, Jillian, Jamie, and Justine.  He was the fourth Vallejo officer killed in the line of the duty in the city’s 155-year history.

Daniel C. Clark

Daniel (Dan) Clark was raised in Anaheim, California. He attended Loara High School where he was active in athletics including wrestling, football, and baseball. After graduating, he returned to coach the freshman football team and was known as “Sergeant” because of his toughness. He continued his education at Cypress College and the University of Long Beach, where he graduated with his degree in Human Resource Management. Throughout his youth Dan was very involved in his church, regularly playing the guitar in the youth group and in Sunday school. He was introduced to his future wife, April, by her mother. They fell in love and married in 1985.

Officer Daniel Clark joined the San Bernardino Police Department on October 7, 1991, after spending five years with the Garden Grove Police Department in Orange County. During his years on the San Bernardino force, he gained a noted reputation as a drug-recognition expert and taught drug-recognition techniques to officers in a number of agencies. Officer Clark was also a field training officer and a member of the department’s rifle squad. Over the course of his career he received several commendations for his police work as well as letters of appreciation from the public for being friendly and conscientious in the field.

On January 18, 2011, Officer Clark responded to a call for help from fellow officers who had met resistance in their attempts to arrest several individuals. Officer Clark arrived on scene and while running to assist officers involved in a fight he suffered an ankle injury. The injury failed to heal, and Clark underwent surgery. As the result of complications from surgery, Officer Clark passed away on November 3, 2011.

Officer Clark is survived by his wife April, daughter Kayla, mother Phyllis, two brothers Jonathon and David and their families. The family held a private funeral on November 12, 2011. Officer Clark is remembered not only for his dedication to the law enforcement profession, but also for his quick wit, prankster actions, his Irish diplomacy, and his thoughtful, calming, and humble demeanor.

Jeremy Henwood

Early Sunday morning, August 7, 2011, San Diego Police Officer Jeremy Henwood died from gunshot wounds suffered in an incident that unfolded the previous evening.

The incident started at approximately 5:22 p.m., Saturday, August 6, when a man was shot in the face with a shotgun in the parking lot of an In-N-Out restaurant on N. Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon. A motive for that shooting has not been disclosed; the victim is expected to survive.

Moments later, the same gunman allegedly pulled beside Officer Henwood’s patrol car at a stop sign in a City Heights neighborhood and shot him “absolutely unprovoked,” according to Capt. Jim Collins of the San Diego department’s homicide squad.

As Officer Henwood was rushed to a hospital emergency room, dozens of officers from several departments, responding to the radio call of “officer down,” located the suspected gunman outside an apartment building.  When he reached for a shotgun, several officers opened fire, killing him, Collins said.  White was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m. by paramedics on scene.

Officer Henwood (36) a four-year veteran of the police department currently assigned to the Mid-City Division, was also a Captain in the United Marine Corps Reserves who recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan.  Henwood passed away at Scripps Mercy Hospital at 1:42 a.m., Sunday, August 7. He is survived by his parents, a brother, and sister.  His family, who traveled to San Diego from Texas, made the courageous decision to donate his organs for transplant – Officer Henwood’s final act of heroism.

Daniel R. Ackerman

Daniel Ackerman was born in 1979 in Long Beach and raised in Buena Park, California.  He graduated from Kennedy High School in La Palma in 1991.  He attended college in Fullerton and received his AA degree in Law Enforcement and Business.

Ackerman became a Police Explorer for the Buena Park Police Department in 1995.  In 2001, he was hired by the Buena Park Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer, and was subsequently hired as a full-time officer in June of 2005.  Since that time Officer Ackerman worked as a patrol officer, range-master, SWAT team member, and was most recently assigned to a regional narcotics taskforce.

On Friday, July 29, at approximately 8:15 a.m., Officer Ackerman participated in a bi-annual physical fitness SWAT training exercise.  After completing the training exercise, Ackerman reported that he felt faint and dizzy.  He was treated at the scene by a full-time physician who trains with the SWAT Team.  Ackerman was then taken to nearby St. Jude Hospital and was admitted for treatment.  The doctors and medical staff at St. Jude gave Officer Ackerman the best of care as tests were run and treatments applied.  Tragically, on July 30th at approximately 3:40am, Officer Ackerman passed away.  He was 31 years old.

On the morning of Friday, August 5, 2011, more than 500 people – including family, friends and officers from across the county – celebrated Officer Daniel Ackerman’s life at Seacoast Grace Church in Cypress.  He was remembered as a man devoted to law enforcement and his family.  “Dan’s tragic death has brought us closer together,” Buena Park Police Chief Corey S. Sianez said. “We loved him very much.”

Ackerman was a family man who was especially close to his younger sister, Christie Thompson.  “He knew from the age of five he wanted to become a police officer,” Thompson said.” That became his second home.”

Daniel loved his Harley and enjoyed motorcycle rides with his Uncle Bill every other weekend.  Besides his hobbies, which always included rooting for the Raiders, Daniel was most passionate about spending time with his 2 ½-year-old daughter.  He loved taking her horseback riding and on trips to Disneyland.

Thompson said Ackerman’s life changed when his daughter, Avery, was born.  “He became more humble and slowed down to appreciate the little things,” she said.  A week before his death, Ackerman and his family celebrated Avery’s second birthday.

Daniel is survived by his daughter Avery, his mother Cynthia, his sister Christie, his uncle Bill, and aunt Carole.

Ryan Stringer

At approximately 2:30 a.m., Sunday July 10, Alhambra PD Officers Ryan Stringer and Juan Mejia were responding to an emergency call of an armed robbery in progress when their patrol vehicles collided near the intersection of E. Main Street and N. Garfield Avenue. Both officers were transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where Officer Stringer died of his injuries. At this writing Officer Mejia is in critical but stable condition.

Officer Stringer, age 26, joined the Alhambra Police Department in January 2009. He is survived by his mother and father, and four sisters.

Andrew Garton

On the afternoon of May 26, 2011, Hawthorne PD Traffic Bureau Motor Officers were assigned to assist in the funeral escort duties of a Manhattan Beach police officer Mark Vasquez, who died recently after a long battle with cancer.

At approximately 12:20pm Hawthorne PD Officer Andrew Garton and El Segundo PD Sgt. Rex Fowler collided near the intersection of 227th Street and Hawthorne Blvd., in the city of Torrance.  The collision caused Officer Garton to be thrown into oncoming traffic.  Garton was transported Harbor UCLA Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.  Sgt. Fowler suffered a broken leg and is recovering.

Officer Garton was a seven year veteran and had been assigned to the Traffic Bureau as a motorcycle officer for the past four and a half years.  He also served as a long time member of the Department’s SWAT team.  Officer Garton is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and seven.

Jermaine Anthony Gibson

On Friday, March 18, 2011, at approximately 11:34 p.m., Cathedral City Police Officer Jermaine Gibson was involved in a high speed pursuit of a stolen vehicle occupied by a wanted parolee at large.  During the pursuit, Officer Gibson lost control of his police unit and collided with a palm tree on the east side of South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.  Officer Gibson sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision and was pronounced deceased at the collision scene.

The suspects in the car he was pursuing also crashed farther down the road along Indian Canyon Drive near Camino Parocela. Witnesses said that car also collided with a palm tree, and then exploded.  Officials report the occupants of the car are hospitalized at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs with major injuries.

Officer Gibson, age 29, served with the Cathedral City Police Department for 18 months and had previously served with the Rialto and Desert Hot Springs Police Departments. Gibson was honorably discharged as an infantry squad leader from the U.S. Marine Corps after four years of duty, which included two tours in Iraq.  He was awarded a Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, and Pistol/Rifle Expert Badges.

Officer Gibson is survived by his wife, Jessica and one month old son, Jermaine Anthony Gibson; mother, Cheryl Gibson; and brother, Taurean R. Gibson.