The mother of a Pomona SWAT officer who died after he was struck by gunfire during a warrant operation described her son as a dedicated public servant who "emanated trust" and took care of whatever needed to be done.
Officer Shaun Diamond, 45, was pronounced dead overnight at a Pasadena hospital where he was admitted Tuesday in "extremely critical condition" after being shot during a motorcycle gang investigation Tuesday morning at a San Gabriel residence. Authorities announced early Wednesday that the 16-year veteran of law enforcement, who leaves behind a wife and two children, had died.
Police officers, deputies and other law enforcement personnel were outside the hospital Wednesday morning as Diamond's body was placed in a coroner's van. The procession continued on Huntington Drive, where other law enforcement and firefighting personnel stood in salute to honor a man whose mother described him as trustworthy, capable and caring.
"My son emanated trust," said Diamond's mother, Joy Diamond. "He was just this great big guy and you just knew he was going to take care of business.
"I'm lost."
Diamond always wanted to serve the community, which he did as a lifeguard before graduating from the policy academy. He wore the angel wings she gave him upon graduation on his uniform and often called -- sometimes at 3 a.m. -- to let her know he was all right, Joy Diamond said.
"The heart he gave away today -- pretty darned special," said Joy Diamond in reference to her son's organ donation.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Members of the department said they were touched by the outpouring of gratitude and support from other law enforcement agencies and the community.
"He's somebody that anybody would get along with," said Pomona Police Chief Paul J. Capraro during a news conference at the police station. "If you went steps from here, he worked the downtown area. If you went door-to-door and asked any of those people, they would tell you how they enjoyed working with him."
Capraro declined to answer questions about the SWAT operation and shooting, adding that the sheriff's department will handle the investigation. Diamond was shot just after 4 a.m. in the 100 block of San Marino Avenue while he was serving the search warrant as part of a multiple-location motorcycle gang investigation, police said.
Diamond was shot in the back of the head as he was "making entry" to the residence and was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena Tuesday where he underwent surgery and was in the intensive care unit for several hours before he died. Sheriff's department officials said he was met with gunfire almost immediately after making entry.
Alleged shooter David Martinez, 36, was arrested and being held in lieu of $4 million bail. Martinez has an extensive criminal history and is expected to be arraigned Thursday.
Other occupants were inside the home when the shooting happened. Pomona officers did not shoot back because Martinez's father was in the line of fire, according to authorities.
Diamond's mother, meanwhile, said she doesn't know if she'll ever be able to forgive her son's suspected killer.
"He killed my baby," she said, fighting back tears. "He's my child. And he'll never stop being my child."
The Pomona Police Officers' Association will be accepting donations on behalf of Diamond's family.
Pomona Police Officers' Association
174 W. McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA 91767
Kim Baldonado contributed to this report.
