Suspect killed, officer critically wounded in San Bernardino shooting

A predawn stop erupted into a lengthy shootout on a residential street in San Bernardino early Friday, leaving a veteran officer seriously wounded and a heavily armed suspect shot dead by the officer’s partner, a rookie trainee two months out of the police academy, authorities said.

San Bernardino police officer Gabriel Garcia, 31, was in critical condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center with at least two gunshot wounds to the torso after he and his partner exchanged gunfire with a group they stopped about 2 a.m.

The rookie officer, whose name was not released, did “a pretty remarkable job,” said San Bernardino police Chief Jarrod Burguan.

Police said the officers stopped six people who were walking in the 1900 block of Garner Avenue when one man ran away. A member of the group, 38-year-old Alex Alvarado, then opened fire with a sawed-off AK-47-type rifle, hitting Garcia, police said. The trainee officer returned fire and killed Alvarado after what police called a “protracted gun battle.”

Another member of the group, Johnathan Contreras, 20, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an assault weapon. Police recovered the rifle used to shoot Garcia at the scene.

The remaining two men and two women in the group were being questioned by police.

Investigators were still piecing together how the stop escalated into gunfire, but Burguan said the officers likely approached the group, who had been drinking at a local bar, because they raised suspicions.

The group “obviously appeared suspicious to them in some way, shape or form,” Burguan said. “I don’t know exactly, at this point, why they were making that contact.”

Garcia, who has served as a patrol officer for six years, underwent surgery with his family present at the hospital. His father is a San Bernardino police captain.

“Gabe is an outstanding officer, a great team member and a great man,” Burguan said. “His calming and compassionate nature has earned multiple letters from citizens thanking him for his assistance with crimes such as armed robberies and carjackings.”

As police combed the crime scene and interviewed neighbors, they also spoke with a woman who identified herself as Alvarado’s wife.

In an interview with Spanish-language news outlets, she said she was “devastated” by the shooting of the officer and her husband.

One resident said that Alvarado worked as a mechanic and a welder, and helped neighbors with their cars.

Residents, some awakened by screams and shooting, said that despite the city’s bankruptcy and a spike in crime, violence was unusual in a community where neighbors keep a close eye on one another and police patrol regularly.

Still, many declined to give their full names out of caution.

“This neighborhood hasn’t been bad for a while,” said Liz, who lives near the shooting scene. “We keep the police on this street. It’s good knowing they are there.”

Others were surprised that such an attack occurred, saying it was the most violence the neighborhood had seen in a decade.

“I can’t understand what happened this morning,” said a resident who declined to give her name. “I want to know why there were six people at 2 a.m. with heavy arms in this neighborhood. It’s very unusual.”

As word of the shooting filtered into the community, city residents paid their respects to the officers caught in the crossfire. Ernesto Vasquez, a commercial truck driver, visited the city’s police headquarters to drop off flowers.

“The city police are doing the best they can with limited resources,” he said. “The police and the Fire Department are the last stand, keeping everything in check here. They have made a difference in my community, and I hope these officers get well.”

Times staff writer Kate Mather contributed to this report.

Matt.hansen2@latimes.com

Twitter: @mtthnsn

Joseph.serna@latimes.com

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