A public viewing will be held Tuesday for mourners wishing to pay respects to a San Diego police gang-enforcement officer fatally wounded last week during a shootout in a Southcrest-area neighborhood.
The four-hour memorial observance in honor of Jonathan "J.D." De Guzman will begin late this afternoon at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bonita.
In the early evening, a community advocacy group called Dreaming of Violence-free Everywhere will hold a vigil at downtown San Diego Police Department headquarters in memory of the 16-year department veteran, who was shot along with a fellow officer in a gun battle that erupted after they conducted a field stop on Acacia Grove Way late Thursday night.
De Guzman, 43, died at Scripps Mercy Hospital. His wounded partner, Officer Wade Irwin, 32, underwent surgery at UCSD Medical Center and is expected to recover.
The man who allegedly opened fire on them, 52-year-old Jesse Michael Gomez, was critically wounded in the exchange of gunshots and remains hospitalized.
A second viewing in honor of De Guzman will take place Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, a funeral Mass is scheduled at the same Bonita church, and a memorial service is slated for Friday at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon. A procession to Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita will follow the midday ceremony.
All the events will be open to the public.
The San Diego Police Officers Association is collecting money for De Guzman's family. Donations can be mailed to the San Diego Police Officers Association, 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA 92111, or made online at sdpoa.org.
SDPOA officials asked donors to include "Officer Jonathan De Guzman" in the notes of the online donation or on the memo lines of their checks.
Contributions to aid in Irwin's recovery expenses can be made at gofundme.com/irwinfamilyfund.
