‘You will never be forgotten.’ Lemoore officer gave ‘ultimate sacrifice’ to save a life
Lemoore Police Officer Jonathan Diaz is remembered as a “cops’ cop.”
“He was always there when you needed him,” Lemoore Police Chief Michael Kendall said. “I never saw him upset, mad, or even frustrated.”
The 31-year-old’s body was laid to rest Friday in Lemoore’s Sunflower Fields Cemetery following a funeral mass at Saint Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church. Gov. Gavin Newsom was among those in attendance.
Diaz was fatally shot Nov. 2 in Hanford while off-duty at a birthday party. Investigators said Diaz and Ramiro Trevino Sr., who was also killed, were shot after stopping Ramiro Trevino Jr. from beating and choking Trevino’s pregnant girlfriend. Trevino shot the men and then shot and killed himself.
Kendall, who delivered Diaz’s eulogy, said Diaz died working to save lives. He said Diaz would have done it again if there was even a small possibility he could have saved another.
“He put everyone’s safety and security above his own,” Kendall said.
The chief recalled Diaz’s hard work, selflessness and commitment – what led him to become a major crimes gang investigator, a training officer and a youth mentor.
“He was very involved in that,” said his cousin, Deborah Monroy, of Diaz’s work mentoring children, “because all he wanted to do is good things for the community.”
Diaz received the Lemoore Police Department’s Public Safety Officer of the Year award in 2018. Kendall said calling Diaz a “proactive” officer would be an understatement.
People often ask cops why they got involved in law enforcement, Kendall said.
“For Jonathan, that answer was simple: He did it for his family,” he continued, including Diaz’s sons and daughter, “his friends. … He did it to provide and set the example, which he did.”
Monroy attended the funeral with her daughter, 9-year-old Mia Bernez, Diaz’s goddaughter.
“He always had the best advice for everybody,” Monroy said of her cousin. “He was just a great person in general. He never had any bad intentions. He only talked about the positive, nothing negative.”
Dozens of law enforcement officers and emergency responders lined a path to the hearse and saluted as Diaz’s casket was carried outside the church.
A large procession filled with law enforcement vehicles then accompanied that hearse to the cemetery.
Not far from the church, there was a makeshift memorial outside the Lemoore Police Department for Diaz – a large cluster of balloons, flowers and candles.
The funeral mass ended with a broadcast of the end-of-watch call for Diaz on Nov. 2, shared by an emergency dispatcher:
“Officer Diaz, we thank you for your loyalty, dedication and service to the citizens of Lemoore and Kings County, and we are forever grateful. You are a true public servant that gave the ultimate sacrifice. Officer Jonathan Diaz, you will never be forgotten.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 3:13 PM.
