Marine’s Death Under Investigation

Authorities are investigating the death of a Camp Pendleton Marine who was shot and killed by a San Bernardino police officer.

A report released Thursday by the San Bernardino Police Department said Lance Cpl. Raymond W. Quiroz, 20, was shot after he jumped on a patrol car, yelled at the officer and attacked her when she got out of her vehicle.

The officer was flagged down by two women about 4 a.m. Saturday in San Bernardino, authorities said. The women said a man tried to steal their car and assaulted them.

According to the report, Quiroz had been at a rave party. The officer, whose name was not released, approached Quiroz a short distance away.

The report said when the officer got out of her car, Quiroz struck her three or four times. The officer then fired her gun once, hitting Quiroz. He died at the scene.

The incident was under investigation, and Det. Vincent Kilbride said the officer took a few days off under a department policy.

Kilbride said toxicology tests from the coroner would not be available for six to eight weeks.

Camp Pendleton officials said Quiroz was a light-armored-vehicle crewman who entered the Marines in December 1996. He went on a western Pacific deployment and had earned a sea service deployment ribbon and an armed forces expeditionary medal.

Quiroz, who was unmarried, had been at Camp Pendleton since July 1997. His hometown was Kane, Ill.