Officer Dies 3 Weeks After Being Shot : He Never Regained Consciousness; Ex-Convict Suspect Held

Rookie San Diego Police Officer Jerry L. Hartless died Sunday, three weeks after he was gunned down while chasing a group of men in an area of Southeast San Diego known for drug dealing.

Hartless, 24, died shortly before 11:30 a.m. at UC San Diego Medical Center, where he had never recovered consciousness after being wounded in the forehead in the Jan. 9 shooting, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Stacy Butler, a 24-year-old Southeast San Diego man who was arrested shortly after the shooting, is being held in County Jail on suspicion of a parole violation. Butler was released from prison 11 days before the shooting.

Police have turned the results of their investigation over to the district attorney’s office, which is expected to seek murder charges against Butler this week.

During his hospitalization, Hartless underwent two operations. Doctors were unable to remove the bullet--believed to be from a .22-caliber handgun--from his brain. After the second operation, Hartless, who was on life-support systems, was placed in a drug-induced coma designed to reduce swelling in his brain.

Statement by Chief

Early last week, Hartless was taken out of the coma and his condition was briefly upgraded from critical to serious. But later in the week, his condition deteriorated and he was again listed in critical condition.

In a statement released Sunday afternoon, San Diego Police Chief William B. Kolender described Hartless as “a proud and promising officer.”

“He was a wonderful young man and his death has deeply hurt every member of the San Diego Police Department,” Kolender’s statement said. “We appreciate the support shown by our community in our time of sorrow. I hope that his murderer is brought before the bar of justice swiftly and held accountable for this heinous act.”

Hartless, described by friends and fellow police officers as a person who excelled at all of life’s endeavors, was a high school track star and art student from a small town in Michigan. He joined the San Diego police force after graduating in May from the Police Academy where he took top honors for physical achievement.

Known for his speed both on the high school track and at the Police Academy, Hartless was chasing a group of suspects near Lincoln High School about 12:20 a.m. on Jan. 9 when, his service revolver still strapped in his holster, he was shot once just above the right eye.

Minutes earlier, Hartless and his partner, Johan Schneider, had stopped to question some men near the 4900 block of Manomet Street, an area said by police to be known for drug dealing.

When the officers got out of their car, the men split up and ran in opposite directions, causing the officers to separate to chase each group. After losing track of his group and returning to the patrol car, Schneider heard a single gunshot, and found Hartless lying in a street about six blocks from where he began his chase.

Butler, of 5041 Solola Street, was arrested later in the back bedroom of what police described as a drug house in the 5000 block of La Paz Drive, about three blocks from the shooting scene.

Released From Prison Early

State parole officers said that Butler had been released Dec. 29 from the state prison at Ione, where he served a sentence for grand theft. That sentence was to run until December, 1990, but Butler was released early for good behavior.

According to police, parole officers and court records, Butler was considered to be a known drug offender and street criminal.

In November, 1983, Butler was convicted of possession of an illegal substance, and was sentenced to time served in County Jail and placed on three years’ probation.

Seven months later, Butler was convicted of displaying a false ID to a police officer, a misdemeanor. In November, 1984, he was convicted of being under the influence of a controlled substance, another misdemeanor. In March, 1985, he was convicted of vandalism but remained free on probation.

After being convicted in January, 1986, of assault with a deadly weapon during an attempted gas station holdup, Butler was sent to state prison on a two-year sentence but was paroled early and charged in another robbery last February. Last July, he was convicted of grand theft and was ordered to serve 16 months at Ione, but once again drew an early release.

In memory of Hartless, all on-duty San Diego police officers wore black arm bands Sunday. Funeral arrangements were pending.