SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - More than a thousand mourners attended the funeral service in honor of San Diego Police Officer Jonathan De Guzman at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bonita on Thursday.
Grieving family members and a somber contingent of law enforcement personnel in dress uniforms gathered for a funeral service in honor of police officer De Guzman who was gunned down in a Southcrest neighborhood last week.
The late-morning Mass for Jonathan "J.D.'' De Guzman at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bonita took place a day before a scheduled public memorial in the East County for the 16-year SDPD veteran.
News crews were not allowed to attend this morning's service.
"The De Guzman family appreciates the efforts of the media to share the life and heroism of their son, husband and father but requests all media remain outside while the funeral Mass is performed,'' according to a statement from the San Diego Police Officers Association.
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The 43-year-old lawman and another officer came under fire about 11 p.m. July 28 during a pedestrian stop in a residential area just east of the intersection of Interstate 5 and state Route 15.
De Guzman, father of two young children, suffered five bullet wounds while seated behind the wheel of his cruiser. He was pronounced dead at a trauma center later in the night. His gang-unit partner, Officer Wade Irwin, 32, also was seriously injured but was able to return fire and is expected to recover.
The alleged assailant, 52-year-old ex-con Jesse Michael Gomez, was critically wounded in the exchange of gunfire and remains hospitalized.
Gomez pleaded not guilty at UCSD Medical Center on Tuesday to charges of murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was ordered to remain in custody in lieu of $5 million bail. A special-circumstance allegation of murder of a police officer makes Gomez eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted.
Authorities have disclosed no suspected motive for the deadly shooting.
The San Diego Police Officers Association is collecting money for De Guzman's family. Donations can be mailed to the San Diego Police Officers Association, 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA 92111, or made online at sdpoa.org/about-widows-orphans-fund/.
SDPOA officials asked donors to include "Officer Jonathan De Guzman'' in the notes of the online donation or on the memo lines of their checks.
Contributions to aid in Irwin's recovery expenses can be made at gofundme.com/irwinfamilyfund.