Calif. Officer in Gravely Injured in Gun Battle

Aug. 22, 2014
A San Bernardino police officer is in grave condition and a suspect is dead after shootout.

A San Bernardino police officer shot this morning near 19th Street and Garner Avenue is out of surgery but remains in critical condition, according to police.

"We ask people to keep him and his family in their prayers," Chief Jarrod Burguan said this morning at a news conference.

One suspect is dead, and five suspects have been detained, police said.

Police have identified the wounded officer as Gabriel Garcia. His father, Ron, is operations director for the department.

Police said the officer was shot once in the head and twice in the upper body with an assault rifle during a protracted gun battle. His trainee was not wounded and neither have been identified.

Police have detained three men and two women all from San Bernardino, Burguan said.

Burguan said shortly after 2 a.m., the officer and his trainee came across six individuals walking near 19th and Garner.

The dead gunman and alleged shooter has been identified as Alex Alvarado, 38, and Jonathan Contreateas, 20, and Orlando Cruz, 24, as accessories in the shooting. The two others detained by police have not been identified.

"When the officer and his trainee got out of their patrol car, one of the individuals began to open fire," Burguan said.

The trainee shot and killed the gunman who died at the scene, Burguan said. The trainee has only been out of the academy for two months.

A rifle and handgun were found next to the gunman's body. Police have recovered an AK-47 rifle and a revolver.

Burguan said the suspects had met earlier at a local club, got alcohol and then went to the location of the shooting. They were in front of a residence, but police have not determined if they associated with that residence, he said.

Beginning early in the morning and for hours afterward, police and investigators studied the taped-off area of the shootout, about two blocks east of Mount Vernon Avenue and separated from the railroad and 215 Freeway only by a field with mounds of trash.

Neighbors were divided on the condition of the neighborhood.

"A lot of people walk by at night, but no guns," said Victor Villanueva, who was awoken by gunshots and then saw "cops were everywhere" almost before he could process what happened. "(We have) no problems like that. I thought it was a train -- someone trying to break into one of the trains."

A bit more than a block away, James Woods, 58, gave a heavy sigh before saying he had woken up to gunshots but quickly gone back to sleep.

"I hear those all the time," said Woods, who runs a safe house on Tumill Avenue. "In five years it's (the area) gone down a lot, not slowly. You see drugs and all the things that brings with it."

The officer was taken to Arrowhead Medical Center in Colton where he underwent surgery.

At the hospital, Stater Bros. brought food and drinks for family members waiting word on the wounded officer.

Many residents expressed sympathy for the officer and his family.

""I'll lift him up in prayer," Linda Redford said as she walked her granddaughter to school. "People just don't fear the police anymore. I pray that things change."

Before noon, more than 300 people had clicked "like" on a Facebook statement by Police Chief Jarrod Burgan asking for support.

"Every single one of the SBPD officers involved displayed bravery this morning. Our community needs your help to rally support for our officer who is in grave condition this morning," San Bernardino police said in a statement on their Facebook page. "Our hearts go out to the officer and their family. Please send prayers and support."

Copyright 2014 - San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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