SDPD officer killed in chase, another injured

A San Diego police officer was killed and a second officer was seriously injured when a short chase in Clairemont turned into a fiery crash late Monday night that also killed the fleeing driver, authorities said.

Officer Austin Machitar, 30, who had been with the police for five and a half years, died at the scene of the accident, while his partner Zachary Martinez, 27, who was in the passenger seat, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police officials said.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the deceased officer as someone with “a very infectious smile and a character that made him one of a kind.” Machitar leaves behind his parents and sister, the police chief said at a news conference Tuesday evening.

“Austin was the guy you wanted on your team. Athletic. He was a competitive guy. He had a passion for training. He was one of our field coaches,” Wahl said. “In fact, his partner last night was his trainee in 2023.”

Martinez has been with the department for a year and a half and is a Navy reservist who came to San Diego through his military service.

“He was born and raised to serve,” Wahl said, standing outside Sharp Memorial Hospital, where Martinez is being treated for his injuries. “As an EMT, he has a heart for helping people.”

“We are very optimistic that he will be OK, but he still has a long way to go,” Wahl said, describing his injuries as “numerous.”

His mother in Texas is with him and police are trying to provide regular updates to his father in Texas and his younger brother, who is currently attending school, the police chief said.

Wahl did not provide any further information about the accident – including about the fleeing driver in the other car – and declined to answer questions.

“I ask for your patience at this point,” Wahl said. “We have many questions that we would like to answer ourselves, but unfortunately it will take some time to reconstruct everything that happened.”

The accident occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard west of Interstate 805.

Wahl said officers spotted a vehicle traveling at a “high rate of speed” on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and attempted to stop it. The driver continued driving and officers briefly engaged in pursuit, but due to the high rate of speed, a supervisor called off the pursuit, the police chief said.

Two other officers – Machitar and Martinez – were fleeing the incident in the same car when the fleeing car crashed into the side of their patrol vehicle, he said.

Machitar, who was driving, died at the scene, as did the suspect. Martinez was taken to a hospital and was in intensive care.

“I can't put into words the emotions that come up in a situation like this,” Wahl told reporters Tuesday morning as he stood alongside Mayor Todd Gloria and others. “When police officers come to work to make a difference, to help those in need, and they put their lives on the line for people they don't even know. Last night we lost a good police officer.”

Wahl said two other vehicles were also involved in the accident. “The drivers appear to be OK, with no significant injuries,” he said.

Wahl said that “due to the enormity of this situation and the emotions involved,” he had asked the California Highway Patrol to conduct an independent investigation into the accident and “a complete reconstruction of the exact course of events.”

A CHP multidisciplinary accident investigation team will investigate the accident. Known as MAIT, it is a special unit that investigates complex collisions.

The accident occurred when police were asked to revise their pursuit policies.

The city's Commission on Police Practices recommended several changes in July after reviewing more than 1,000 police chases in San Diego. The commission found that most chases began over minor violations and that one in five chases in the past five years resulted in a collision.

One of the proposed changes would require officers to conduct chases only in incidents related to violent crimes.

The policy overhaul was initiated after a driver who was allegedly fleeing from police during a chase collided with a family's car in Mountain View in December, killing two young boys.

Monday night's crash prompted a radio call to 911, which meant “police down.” Several police officers rushed to the scene and were told by emergency responders to bring their fire extinguishers when they arrived. While some first responders tended to the injured, police officers blocked and diverted traffic and attempted to secure evidence. CHP officers quickly closed off the I-805 exit ramps at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, just blocks from the crash scene. They were reopened several hours later.

As footage obtained by Fox 5 shows, the officer's body was accompanied by a convoy of police cars as it was taken to the county coroner's office in Kearny Mesa early Tuesday.

In a message to the police officers who continue to work despite the grief, Gloria wrote: “Your work is appreciated. Your city is grateful to you.”

He urged San Diego residents to spread the same message when they are out and about in the coming days: “Remember to express your appreciation directly,” the mayor urged residents. “You need to hear this from us.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom said flags at the state Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space would fly at half-staff in Machitar's honor. “Jennifer and I are heartbroken over the tragic loss of Officer Machitar,” he said in a statement.

The San Diego Police Officers Association said a fund had been set up to help the families of the two police officers involved in the accident.

The fund is administered by the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) and has raised over $35,000 as of Tuesday evening. A link to the donation page can be found at sdpoa.org. It can also be found directly on the PORAC ​​website.

According to the police union, Machitar is the 35th San Diego Police Department officer killed in the line of duty.

The 34th is Dan Walters, who died in April 2020 from complications from a gunshot wound he sustained in the line of duty in 2003. Before becoming a police officer, Walters played for the Padres.

In July 2016, 43-year-old Officer Jonathan De Guzman was killed in Southcrest after a man opened fire on him and his partner.

The department has suffered other tragic losses, including a June 2021 crash that killed Detective Ryan Park, 32, and his colleague Jamie Huntley-Park, 33. The couple were off-duty when they were struck by a wrong-way driver.

Writer Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.

Originally published: August 27, 2024 at 7:41 am