San Diego County sheriff’s investigators identified on Wednesday a man who died while in police custody outside a Gaslamp Quarter bar on Saturday, and named the officers who restrained him.
Officers Jacob Phipps and Noah McLemore had restrained Gabriel Jesus Garza, 40, of San Diego following an altercation outside the Star Bar on E Street near Fourth Avenue around 8:15 p.m., sheriff’s Lt. Michael Krugh said.
Phipps and McLemore have been with the department for four and a half years and are assigned to Central Division Patrol, Krugh said.
The incident began shortly after the officers received a report of a man causing a disturbance at the bar and allegedly biting a security guard.
One of the officers arrived and quickly handcuffed Garza, but he continued to struggle, Krugh said. The officer requested the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department come to the scene to evaluate Garza.
The second officer arrived and secured the man’s legs, Krugh said. Fire Department medics arrived about 10 minutes after the initial call, and found the man was unresponsive and without a pulse, Krugh said.
Garza died at a hospital.
An autopsy was conducted Monday but has not yet determined a cause and manner of death, officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives are investigating the death under a countywide memorandum aimed at ensuring that law enforcement agencies don’t investigate their own shootings and in-custody deaths.
After sheriff’s officials conclude their investigation, the case will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office, and the San Diego Police Department will undertake an administrative review of the incident.
