San Bernardino police Capt. Ron Garcia retires SAN BERNARDINO >> A key member of the San Bernardino Police Department, Capt. Ron Garcia, officially retired Tuesday. Several coworkers were on hand as Garcia with family members including his son Gabriel walked into the upstairs training room at police headquarters. Officers wheeled Gabriel -- wounded recently in the line of duty -- into the room, leaving many speechless in what some described as the most emotional part of the ceremony. Both Garcias worked for the policing agency for the previous six years, until the unthinkable happened. Officer Gabe Garcia was shot in the head Aug. 22 by a man armed with an AK-47 type assault rifle. His partner, a rookie who recently graduated the academy, killed the gunman. The elder Garcia overwhelmed with the outpouring of support not only for Gabriel, but for the entire family and each member of the police department, made the decision to retire in order to help his son recover from his wounds. Officers who worked for Garcia had wonderful words to describe their relationship with the retiring leader, but one of his direct co-workers, Capt. Ray King had this to say about his friend: “With all of the pain and sorrow in the world, today was a great day. A wonderful man was honored and his family, who had always been by his side, was here to celebrate his accomplishments with his work family. Godspeed and may your retirement be blessed.” Garcia, who’s been recognized as “Officer of the Year” by the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce, and “Officer of the Year” twice by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, had nearly a 30-year career with the policing agency. He has also received more than 40 CHP/AAA 10851 — Auto Theft Recovery Awards, and a unit citation for his work with street gangs and also organized several of the Baker-to-Vegas marathons on behalf of the San Bernardino Police Department as well as participating in the run. The bonds of brotherhood between police officers, their families and others with any connection to law enforcement can only be described as unbreakable by some.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:57:11 +0000
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