The officer who was shot Saturday afternoon at an intersection in City Heights has died, Chief William Lansdowne said in a press conference Sunday afternoon.
Officer Jeremy Henwood, 36, passed away at Scripps Mercy Hospital at 1:42 a.m., said Lansdowne.
Henwood, who served with SDPD for four years, was assigned to the Mid-City Division. He was also a Captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserves who recently returned from deployment.
Henwood was left in extremely critical condition yesterday shortly after 5:30 p.m. after being shot inside his patrol car at University Avenue and 45th Street.
Witnesses said a man pulled up on this side of Henwood’s vehicle and shot him with a shotgun in what officials believe was an unprovoked attack.
"On behalf of all San Diegans, I offer my deep condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Jeremy Henwood," said Mayor Jerry Sanders in a statement Sunday. "This tragedy is another grim reminder that our police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our community, and we are grateful for their courage and sacrifice."
Henwood is from Texas and his family traveled to San Diego, Lansdowne said. They are currently sequestered in a hotel room and don’t plan on speaking with any media at the current moment, he added.
Henwood is survived by his parents and a brother. Landowne also mentioned Henwood’s a sister traveled from Canada.
A memorial fund has been setup in memorial of the slain officer who is the third officer from SDPD to have died in a little over a month and the second to die in the line of duty in 10 months.
“We are saddened by this senseless and cowardly act that has taken away a true hero,” said Brian R. Marvel, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association, in a statement Sunday afternoon.
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“Having recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan, Officer Henwood was continuing to serve the community just as he had served his country – with honor and respect…he will be remembered for these qualities. As we all join together to mourn our fallen brother, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” Marvel added.
The suspect in Henwood’s shooting, whom Lansdowne identified as Dejon Marquee White, 23, was killed by police after a standoff outside a City Heights apartment building almost an hour after Henwood was shot.
Police believe the series of events that ended in Henwood’s shooting, and White's death, began with a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in El Cajon Saturday afternoon.
At 5:22 p.m., a man was shot in the face with a shotgun in the parking lot of an In-N-Out restaurant on N. Magnolia Avenue, police said. The suspect used a shotgun.
The suspect fled the scene in a black Audi with paper plates, and the victim who was shot in the face is expected to survive, according to a media release.
At 5:25 p.m. an El Cajon police officer, with no knowledge of the In-N-Out incident, spotted a black Audi speeding west on Interstate 8.
The black sedan was going over 100 miles an hour and so the officer initially attempted to pursue the vehicle for a traffic violation. However, the officer terminated the chase out of concern for the public at about 5:28 p.m.
At 5:29 p.m. SDPD were alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect in the In-N-Out shooting.
Shortly after, a woman using a police scanner reported Henwood’s shooting at 5:32 p.m.
Paramedics who arrived on the scene treated and transported Henwood, who later died on Sunday.
At around 6:00 p.m. SDPD Communication received a report of a black Audi parked in front of an apartment in the 4000 block of 48th Street that might have been involved in Henwood shooting, police said.
When officers arrived on the scene they spotted suspect White carrying a shotgun and getting into the Audi before heading south on 48th Street.
As the San Diego Air Support Unit closed in on White he reportedly opened his driver door and grabbed the shotgun, at which point several officers fired on him.
The vehicle White was driving rolled backward and down the street before crashing into an iron fence, police said.
Once White was pulled out of the vehicle, paramedics were called and white was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m.
Police, thinking a second suspect may have been in the apartment on 48th street, called in SWAT to secure the area, however after entering the building around 10 p.m. they found no one inside.
Based on additional investigations in-depth interviews with witnesses, investigators believe there was only one suspect involved in the incidents, according to a media release.
Funereal arrangements for Henwood were pending as of Sunday evening.
Anyone who would like to donate to officer Henwood's memorial fund can mail a check to the San Diego Police Officer Association at:
Officer Jeremy Henwood Family Trust
c/o San Diego Police Officers Association
8388 Vickers Street, San Diego, CA 92111
