Since 1962, May 15 has been designated as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as National Police Week — a time “to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to voice our appreciation for all those who currently serve on the front lines of the battle against crime,” according to the joint resolution by Congress that was signed by President John F. Kennedy. Each May, peace officers, surviving family members and law enforcement supporters across the country join together in local, state and national ceremonies to remember all the brave men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty, both in the past year and throughout history.
This year’s California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremonies at the State Capitol on May 4 and 5 will pay tribute to the three officers featured here whom we lost in 2024, as well as two who died in prior years. Our three fallen heroes from 2024 will also be honored during the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week May 11–17, along with two other California line-of-duty deaths from the past several years: Riverside County Probation Corrections Officer Ryan Santana, who died of complications from COVID-19 on December 23, 2021; and Oakland Police Officer Jordan Wingate, who died on April 20, 2024, from injuries sustained in an on-duty vehicle crash on August 13, 2018. Their names have been inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial, along with those of 20 other California peace officers who died between 1903 and 2014 but whose stories of sacrifice have only recently been uncovered and documented. In total, 345 U.S. peace officers are being added to the National Memorial this year — 148 killed in 2024 and 197 from previous years. That brings the number of memorialized officers from throughout U.S. history to a sobering 24,412.
During this sacred time, let us pause, reflect and pay our respects to the memory of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives to serve and protect their communities, as well as offering our heartfelt support to the colleagues and loved ones who continue to mourn their loss. We dedicate this issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News to all our fallen California officers and their survivors. We will never forget their legacy of service and sacrifice.
Deputy Alfredo “Freddy” Flores
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: April 20, 2024
On October 10, 2023, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Alfredo “Freddy” Flores was training with another deputy inside the mobile shooting range at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic when an equipment malfunction ignited a fire. Both deputies suffered severe burns before being rescued by fellow deputies and transported to a local hospital. After a valiant months-long fight, Flores succumbed to his injuries on April 20, 2024.
Flores was 51 years old and had worked for LASD for 22 years, serving in assignments including North County Correctional Facility, Operation Safe Jails, Altadena Station and the Sylmar Juvenile Court at Court Services West Bureau. He is survived by his wife, four children, sister and parents.
“Deputy Flores was not just a colleague but a beacon of strength, earning the respect of both his peers and the community he served. His sudden departure has left an immense void in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him,” the Department said in a statement.
Officer Matthew Bowen
Vacaville Police Department
EOW: July 11, 2024
While Vacaville Police Officer Matthew Bowen was conducting a traffic stop on July 11, 2024, he and the stopped driver were struck from behind by another vehicle and Bowen was thrown from his motorcycle. He received medical aid on scene and was transported to a local hospital, where, despite all lifesaving efforts, he tragically succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the vehicle that struck Bowen attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was detained by bystanders who witnessed the crash. CHP investigators determined she was driving while under the influence of drugs, and she was charged with homicide and DUI causing injury and/or death.
Bowen was 32 years old, had been with the Department for just over a year and was Vacaville’s first line-of-duty death. He had previously served three and a half years with the Concord Police Department before joining Vacaville P.D. to be closer to home and spend more time with his wife and two young sons. He is also survived by his parents and brother.
“My parking spot at the police department is right next to where the Vacaville Police Department motor officers park, so I would see Matt quite often just coming and going,” Chief Ian Schmutzler said at Bowen’s memorial service. “Each time I saw him, he had a big smile on his face — a positive attitude which was contagious amongst his motor officers and myself. He truly loved serving the Vacaville community as a motor cop.”
Officer Austin Christopher Machitar
San Diego Police Department
EOW: August 26, 2024
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Monday, August 26, 2024, officers from the San Diego Police Department witnessed a vehicle traveling at an excessively high speed on surface streets and initiated a traffic stop. The driver did not yield, and a short pursuit ensued. Due to the high rate of speed of the fleeing suspect vehicle, a supervisor terminated the pursuit. SDPD Officer Austin Machitar and his partner, Officer Zachary Martinez, were responding to the area to assist if needed when the fleeing vehicle broadsided their patrol unit in an intersection at 90 mph. Machitar and the suspect both died at the scene, and Martinez was hospitalized in critical condition. Despite being severely injured, he made what the Department called a “miraculous” recovery and was able to return to duty in December.
A five-and-a-half-year veteran assigned to SDPD’s Northern
Division, Machitar was a native son of the area, having grown up in Chula Vista, and had celebrated his 30th birthday the month before his death. He is survived by his parents and sister. His father, Chris, is a retired sergeant from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
“He’s a San Diego kid,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said in a news conference. “Austin’s the kind of guy you want on your team. He was athletic. He was a competitor. He had a passion for training… Austin had a very infectious smile and a character that made him one of a kind.”
Recent Past
Officer Chad E. Swanson
Manhattan Beach Police Department
EOW: October 4, 2023
Manhattan Beach Police Officer Chad Swanson was killed in a motorcycle crash on the 405 Freeway while en route to work on the morning of October 4, 2023, when a vehicle struck his Department motorcycle after another vehicle made an unsafe lane change to avoid boxes that had fallen from a truck onto the road. The impact threw Swanson from his motorcycle and he was transported to Harbor Medical Center, where, despite all lifesaving measures, he died from his injuries. The driver whose improperly secured boxes had caused the accident was charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.
Swanson was 35 years old, began his career with the Hawthorne Police Department and was a 13-year-veteran of Manhattan Beach P.D., serving on the SWAT team and as a crime scene investigator, use-of-force instructor and member of the Honor Guard. He earned a Medal of Valor for saving the life of a burglary suspect in 2015. In 2017 Swanson was wounded in the mass shooting at the Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas, but repeatedly ran into the crowd to bring others to safety and apply tourniquets to their injuries. He is survived by his wife, three sons and parents.
Distant Past
Officer Terry Dewitt Long
El Monte Police Department
EOW: August 22, 2004
El Monte Police Officer Terry Long was shot in the line of duty on June 18, 1970. He and another officer were questioning a subject for public intoxication in the early morning hours when they noticed several men with rifles drawn on them. After calling for backup, Long walked across the street to investigate, hoping to sneak up behind them, when he was shot by a man hiding behind a parked car. Responding officers returned fire on the fleeing suspects, hitting one of the men. Long was pulled from the barrage of gunfire by Officer Tony Arceo, who later died in the line of duty on July 9, 1974. Long had suffered a shattered spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. The injury ended his law enforcement career and he established a successful practice as a lawyer until succumbing to complications from his wounds on August 22, 2004. The shooter, also paralyzed from the waist down in the incident, was convicted of assault with the intent to commit murder and served five years in prison before being paroled.
Long was a U.S. Navy veteran and served with the El Monte P.D. for two years. He was survived by a son, two daughters, his mother and six grandchildren.