A 16-year San Diego police veteran killed in the line of duty Thursday night was previously attacked by a suspect and received a Purple Heart from the department twelve years ago.
Jonathan DeGuzman, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Southcrest Thursday, was stabbed in 2003 after he stopped a parolee for speeding in City Heights.
DeGuzman intended to give the man a warning for going 30 mph in a 25 mph zone, but the driver, Carl Thompson, got out of his car and stabbed DeGuzman in the shoulder. When he tried to stab DeGuzman again, the officer shot Thompson in the hip. Thompson was convicted of attempted murder on a peace officer in 2004.
Former chief of police William Lansdowne presented DeGuzman with his Purple Heart, given to officers injured in the line of duty. Lansdowne said DeGuzman was “special” to him.
“I found him to be very calm and dedicated,” Lansdowne told NBC 7. “I was very much impressed. He wanted to be a police officer. He was excited about the job, and he wanted to work in the high profile job. That’s how he got to the gang unit. He did an incredible job there. I am going to miss him, like everyone else I am going to miss JD.”
DeGuzman was a husband and a father of two children.
On Friday, Heritage Elementary School in Chula Vista issued a statement to the parents of students, informing them of DeGuzman's death. The school stated that DeGuzman was a "quality, involved parent" that many other parents knew and interacted with.
