CCPD Officer Jermaine Gibson Sr. remembered 8 years after death
Fallen Cathedral City police officer Jermaine Gibson Sr. remembered 8 years after he was killed in the line of duty.
On March 19, 2011, Gibson was killed in the line of duty when his patrol vehicle crash into a palm tree during a high-speed pursuit of a wanted parolee. The parolee, Durjan Germaine Gray, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2016 and sentenced to 32 years to life.
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Gibson was 28 years old at the time of his passing. He served with the Cathedral City Police Department for 18 months in his three-year law enforcement career. Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, receiving a Purple Heart after suffering injuries during combat in Iraq.
CCPD Chief Travis Walker wrote of Gibson today, “Jermaine protected our community with honor and pride, and he made a sacrifice few humans are willing to make for strangers. He lived his life honorably and considered it a privilege to serve our community. It will forever be our duty to honor and remember him, and we will not forget his service or the loved ones he left behind.”
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On Dec. 15, 2018, Gibson and fellow CCPD officer David Vasquez, were honored with a memorial plaza named “The Protector” located adjacent to the CCPD building. Gibson and Vasquez are the only two officers in the city’s history to lose their lives in the line of duty. Their names are inscribed in benches at the plaza.
The statue at the center of the plaza features an officer holding the hand of Gibson’s son.
Today, officers gathered to lay a wreath at the memorial site. Chief Walker says this done to, “Stay true to our commitment to never forget the sacrifice he made.”
Gibson is survived by his mother, father, wife, and son, Jermaine Gibson Jr, who was 3-weeks-old at the time. Gibson Jr., now 7, says he wants to be a police officer just like his dad when he grows up.
The Cathedral City Police Officers’ Association has established a memorial fund to assist Gibson’s family. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1131 Cathedral City, CA 92235. The checks should be made payable to The Cathedral City Police Officer’s Foundation c/o Officer Gibson Fund.
