The suspect arrested in connection to the 2006 gang killing of an Oceanside Police Department (OPD) officer pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Jose Compre, 26, of Oceanside was arrested on Thursday in connection with the decade-old killing of OPD Officer Dan Bessant. New evidence in the deadly shooting will finally lead to closure in the case and a conviction in the courtroom, a prosecutor said Friday.
On December 20, 2006, 25-year-old Bessant was shot and killed on duty while helping another officer conducting a traffic stop at Arthur Avenue and Gold Drive in Oceanside.
Authorities said new information recently brought to light launched the investigation leading to the arrest of Compre. Over the years, Compre had been one of three suspects tied to Bessant's killing.
Following the deadly shooting of the officer, two teenagers with documented gang ties were arrested for the crime: Meki Gaono and Penifoti Teaotui.
Authorities concluded the killing was done for no other reason other than it presented a chance for the gang members to gain respect, however warped, for shooting at police. Gaono and Teaotui were both sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At the time, Compre was also arrested, but at a preliminary hearing in 2008, charges against him were dropped.
On Friday, however, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Tom Manning told reporters he's confident that new evidence will help convict Compre for the crime once and for all.
“It’s welcome news for everybody in the community. When a police officer is killed, it threatens the safety and security of all citizens of the community,” Manning said.
Local
Manning told NBC 7 he could not give details on the new evidence, as a warrant on this case is sealed. Those details will be presented at Compre's preliminary hearing.
“I’m happy that the evidence came together and Mr. Compre will stand trial,” he said.
If convicted, Compre faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, without parole. Because Compre was a teenager at the time of Bessant's shooting, Manning said he is not eligible for the death penalty.
Manning said Compre has a lengthy criminal record that includes a recent stint in jail. Compre was arrested in Carlsbad in January 2016 for felony possession of marijuana and child endangerment. Manning said Compre pleaded guilty in that case and served some time. He was out of jail and on probation at the time of his arrest Thursday.
With this final arrest in connection with the slaying of Bessant, the officer's father said Thursday, in a prepared statement, that he felt a sense of relief.
He said the officer's family has long been waiting for this moment.
"I am relieved this day has come. I am thankful to Oceanside police and the District Attorney's Office, especially Tom Manning. They never have forgotten. They never stopped pursuing justice," read the statement.
Brock Beeson, a friend of the fallen officer, told NBC 7 that over the years, he had a lot of questions about why Compre had not been put behind bars. But he added that the arrest gave him new hope.
"Today, finding out, getting that text message and sitting there and realizing the cops hadn't quit on us, hadn't stopped," Beeson said, adding that he was grateful for the work investigators put in.
"It's not going to bring Dan back by any means, but what it will do is allow more healing," he added.
Compre is currently being held on a $5 million dollar bond.
