Fil-Am cop killed in pursuit crash honored for bravery, sacrifice
Officer Austin Machitar | FILE PHOTO
SAN DIEGO – Filipino American police officer Austin Machitar, who was killed in a fiery crash in San Diego while pursuing a suspect, was honored Wednesday for his bravery and sacrifice at a ceremony for fallen police officers.
During the ceremony, Machitar’s name was formally added to the San Diego Police Department’s Officer Memorial Wall.
San Diego’s North Clairemont Community Park is also going to be renamed for Machitar, who died Aug. 26 last year in a vehicle crash while assisting with a high-speed pursuit in Clairemont Mesa.
Machitar, 30, had spent more than five years in the department.
The proposal from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s office to rename the park Officer Austin Machitar Memorial Park was unanimously approved by the city’s Parks and Recreation Board last week.
According to Gloria’s office, the park was selected “because of its proximity to where Officer Machitar served and the deep ties he had to the Clairemont neighborhood.”
City officials say funds donated by the San Diego Police Officers Association will support new signs and other updates to the park, which are expected to be completed this summer.
Gloria said in a statement, “I promised Officer Machitar’s family that I would never let our city forget the sacrifice he made in service to our community. Renaming this park in the neighborhood he served is a meaningful way for us to honor his memory and ensure future generations know the legacy he left.”
Officer Austin Machitar | FILE PHOTO
During the memorial for fallen officers on Wednesday, Police Chief Scott Wahl described Machitar as charismatic and a good leader.
“Service, sacrifice and selflessness — those are the three words that best describe Austin,” he said “When you see somebody have to give the ultimate sacrifice in doing this job, it rips your heart apart.”
“What all of our officers do is heroic work,” Mayor Gloria said. “And when they die in the line of duty, as Austin did, we have to memorialize them.”
The event also featured a wreath-laying ceremony and 37 peals of a bell, once for each of the 35 men and two women who have died while on the job with the city’s police force between 1913 and 2024, according to department officials. (With CNS report)
