San Diego

SDPD SWAT Quietly Honors Fallen Officer Jonathan ‘JD' De Guzman

This month, the San Diego Police Department's SWAT has been observing a quiet memorial to one of their fallen officers, Jonathan "JD" De Guzman, who was killed on duty one year ago

Friday marks one year since San Diego police officer Jonathan "JD" De Guzman was killed in the line of duty and his colleagues are remembering him in a quiet, but meaningful, way.

The beloved San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer was shot and killed while patrolling the streets of Southcrest on July 28, 2016.

DeGuzman, who served on SDPD's Gang Suppression team, accomplished one of his big goals two years before he died: becoming a SWAT officer.

JD SWAT alley
SDPD SWAT
Jonathan "JD" De Guzman was a member of SDPD's SWAT.

In his time on SWAT, De Guzman forged unbreakable bonds with his fellow officers. The team continues to feel the pain of his death deeply.

SDPD SWAT Commanding Officer Robert Daun was the SWAT Executive Officer working on the night of De Guzman's shooting.

"The SWAT team actually responded out that night; they worked almost 24 hours straight that night to try to bring those to justice," Daun recalled. "And I saw officers who would have worked another 48 hours straight."

Daun said his team worked swiftly, despite knowing one of their own had been killed.

"In the midst of the amount of pain that I'm sure everybody was going through, they went out and performed flawlessly as a SWAT team that day," said Daun.

De Guzman's death is a loss so profoundly felt, that even with the passage of time, his absence is still devastating to fellow officers.

During the month of July, De Guzman's colleagues have been observing a quiet tribute to the fallen officer.

"Normally we just wear a black SWAT T-shirt to training, but this month, because it's the anniversary [of De Guzman's death], we wanted to honor JD by wearing a T-shirt in honor of him," explained Daun.

DEGUZMAN
SDPD SWAT
Another photo of De Guzman on the job.

It's a heartbreaking loss that never heals but is made a little more bearable in a unit where a team identity prevails.

"Nobody works alone in SWAT," said Daun. "He's still missed. We're still honoring him today."

De Guzman was 43 years old. He left behind a wife, son, and daughter.

On Saturday, the tributes for the officer continue with special Crossfit workouts across San Diego. Fellow SDPD officers and community members will participate in the "GS 24 Memorial WOD Partner Workout" in honor of De Guzman, whose police radio call sign was "GS 24."

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