STAFF REPORTS
(Photo Courtesy: Pomona Police Department)
Pomona – On Wed., Oct. 29, the Pomona Police Department reported the sad news that SWAT Officer, Shaun Richard Diamond, 45, had died.
On Tues., Oct. 28, in the early morning hours, Pomona Police SWAT Officers, including Diamond, were assisting in the service of a search warrant in San Gabriel. Diamond was shot during this operation, and was transported in critical condition to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. He was surrounded by his family and members of the department when he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
At the direction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, 36-year old David Martinez – a resident of San Gabriel – was initially booked by the Montebello Police Department for Attempted Murder on a Peace Officer. With the death of Officer Diamond, Martinez’ charges will be upgraded. He is currently being held in lieu of $4 million bail. Suspect Martinez’ criminal history includes assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.
Officer Diamond was a 16-year veteran in law enforcement, serving with the LAPD and the Montebello PD prior to joining the Pomona Police Department in 2006. He had been a member of Pomona’s SWAT Team since 2008, and proudly served the City in dozens of SWAT operations.
Diamond worked with the Downtown District Enforcement Team, providing service exclusively to the businesses and residents of Pomona’s downtown area. He was also a Field Training Officer, responsible for training new recruits from the academy. Diamond greatly contributed to many of the Department’s community outreach efforts, including K9 demonstrations, Special Olympics events, and SWAT demonstrations for local school children.
The Pomona Police Department states that they sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support from surrounding law enforcement, fire agencies, and the communities.
The Pomona Police Officers’ Association will be accepting donations on behalf of Officer Diamond’s family. Donations may be sent to them at 174 W. McKinley Avenue, Pomona, 91767. Please include Officer Shaun Diamond’s name on any donations or correspondence.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
