The wife of a man accused along with two other men of being involved in a shootout that critically wounded a San Bernardino police officer said her husband is “a really good person, he’s a really good father.” Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 5 p.m. from San Bernardino Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.
Three men were charged in connection with the gun battle that critically wounded a San Bernardino police officer.
Jonathan Contreras, 20; Orlando Cruz, 24; and Gonzalo Medina, 22, face two counts of attempted murder on a peace officer and possession of an assault rifle, prosecutors said. All three men are expected to be arraigned Wednesday. If convicted, they could get life in prison.
The charges stem from an incident Friday in which San Bernardino Police Officer Gabriel Garcia was shot and critically wounded when Alex Alvarado, 38, who police said was in a gang, opened fire on him when he and his rookie partner walked up to a group of people in a San Bernardino neighborhood, police said.
The unnamed rookie officer killed Alvarado during an ensuing gun battle, police said.
Even though the three men charged in the case did not fire any weapons, they are being charged in the case, said San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos.
"The District Attorney's Office wants to make it very clear that if you aide and abet or are involved in a conspiracy in the assault or shooting of a peace officer, we will hold you accountable," Ramos said.
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan held a press conference at which he displayed the weapons he said were used in the attack.
"The information we have right now is that at least four rounds were fired out of the handgun," he said. "One round was fired out of the AK-47."
Garcia, a well-respected officer of six and a half years, continues to recover from a single gunshot wound to his head, the Chief said.
He was struck by a bullet believed to have been fired from the .38 caliber pistol, the Chief said.
His father, longtime San Bernadino police Captain Ron Garcia, along with other family members, have been at his bedside praying for him to survive.
"They're being as optimistic as they can in this case," the Chief said.
