Officer in Slaying Back at Work

One month after accidentally killing his young partner in a drug raid, veteran Police Sgt. Dan Christian is back on the job.

“I never considered quitting,” said Christian who returned Tuesday. “I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me. I always knew I would come back.”

The Police Department is easing Christian, 43, back into life behind the badge with a desk job where he supervises property crimes cases.

“I basically read crime reports and assign them to detectives,” Christian said. “It’s pretty low key.”

Christian spent the past month on paid leave as he attempted to recover from the March 13 fatal shooting.

In a matter of seconds, a dangerous SWAT raid turned deadly when Christian mistook his friend, Officer James Rex Jensen Jr., for a threat in the smoky haze and shot him three times with a shotgun. The 30-year-old Jensen was pronounced dead minutes later.

The district attorney’s office is still reviewing the Police Department’s internal report, but many in the department expect Christian to be cleared by the investigation.

It was a tragic moment for the Oxnard Police Department, with many staff members fearing they had lost two officers: one to gunfire, the other to emotional trauma.

“I fell sorry for the Jensen family, but I also feel sorry for the Christian family,” Chief Harold Hurtt said the day of the shooting. “We are all wounded by this incident.

“This is a very difficult thing to go through as an organization.”

One month later, Hurtt was far more upbeat.

“It’s good to have Danny back, to see he’s handling the situation well,” he said.

Colleagues say Christian appears to be managing his new duties well. But in a conversation Wednesday, it became clear many of his wounds still haven’t fully healed.

When asked about the past month, Christian credited his wife for her support--”She’s my rock,” he said--but hedged on other details.

“Some things are inside of me, and they probably will never come out,” he said.

As for the funeral, dressed in his full SWAT regalia, Christian accompanied Jensen’s widow Jenny and would only say he “felt honored to be there.”

Christian, however, said he was aware that his return had resonance beyond his own well-being.

“It affects the whole department,” he said.

Fellow Officer Mike Williamson agreed.

“Seeing Danny Christian back is the best thing that could’ve happened to us in the last month,” Williamson said. “It’s very encouraging to us. Half the department must have stopped by and said hello to him on his first day back.

“We’re thrilled to have Danny back at work with his friends and family at the Oxnard Police Department.”

Williamson acknowledged it will be awhile before Christian is back on the street fighting Oxnard’s escalating gang violence. A popular and outspoken member of the department, Christian gained a reputation for his tough stance on gangs, once remarking that “they choose to be gang members, we choose to enforce the law.”

“He still has some things he needs to work through,” Williamson said. “We want to make sure he’s comfortable making critical, snap decisions when faced with a dangerous situation.”

Christian would be welcomed back into the SWAT team if he decides to rejoin, Cmdr. John Crombach said.

“But I’m not sure he’s going to come back,” Crombach added.

Cmdr. Joe Munoz said Christian’s assignment to desk duty had nothing to do with the investigation into the incident. Munoz expects the sergeant to remain in the post for at least one month, before again taking the helm of the department’s street crimes and gang unit.

“Right now [Christian] is getting a taste of an another element of investigations--the administrative side. It’s not as glamorous, and it’s filled with paperwork,” Munoz said.

Said Christian: “I haven’t worn a coat and tie since I left homicide in 1992. I guess it kind of goes with the desk.”