Cathedral City honors fallen officers with new ‘Memorial Plaza’

A dedication is scheduled for Dec. 15 at 10:00 a.m. for Cathedral City’s new Memorial Park in front of the Civic Center and Police Department.

The area will feature benches inscribed with the names of two officers who lost their lives in the line of duty over the city’s history, David Vasquez and Jermaine Gibson.

Vasquez was killed on Oct. 28, 1988 while directing traffic during an investigation. He was a six year veteran of the Cathedral City Police Department.

Gibson lost his life in a fiery crash on March 19, 2011 while pursuing a suspect. Gibson was a US Marine Corps Veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart. His bravery and sacrifice were recently recognized with a memorial tile in Grand Terrace, CA. He previously worked as a police officer in the City of Rialto. He left behind a wife, Jessica, and a newborn son, Jermaine Gibson, Jr.