The jury could have recommended life in prison without parole. A judge will make the final decision on sentencing, according to FOX 5. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept.
De Guzman was beloved by his colleagues and family. In , the officer survived a stabbing while on duty, and was awarded a Purple Heart by the department for his valor.
Even after that incident, De Guzman returned to the force and his passion to protect the public never wavered. Irwin returned to duty in June , less than a year after the deadly shooting. In , Irwin received the congressional badge of bravery. Opening statements in the trial of Gomez began on Aug. The proceedings lasted several weeks. Closing arguments were held on Sept. On day one of the trial , the jury watched dramatic body camera video of officers desperately trying to save their colleagues.
The video showed the first officer arriving on scene minutes after De Guzman and Irwin were shot. Officer Irwin took the stand on Aug. I believed at that time, if the defendant saw that I was alive, I would be executed. Gomez took the stand in his trial on Sept. He testified that he thought De Guzman and Irwin were gang members — not police officers — when he opened fire on them. Gomez and his defense team do not deny that he shot the two gang-unit officers. But they argue he should not face the special circumstance allegation because he did not know he was shooting at law enforcement.
Gomez said when he was approached by Irwin that night, he couldn't see anything but a shadowy figure. Then, he heard a voice. I mean, it happened so fast.
It was done within seconds," Gomez said to defense attorney Troy Britt from the witness stand at the San Diego Central Courthouse last week. Defense attorney Jessica Petry said in her opening statement that in a dangerous neighborhood like San Diego's Shelltown, when someone asks where someone is from, the question usually ends in a violent encounter. Officers Gomez and Irwin were gang unit officers.
Gomez was a gang member who had plenty of previous interactions with police, he admitted. The neighborhood where the shooting occurred has been known for gang activity. Ariel N. Proskauer Rose LLP. California Employment Law Update. Friday, October 22, Related Legal Headlines. By Keith Paul Bishop. Switching Sides? By Eric J. By Catherine C.
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