Police officer dies after falling off highway overpass while chasing carjacking suspect

FOUNTAIN, Colorado. Police officer Fontana died nine days after falling 40 feet off a bridge while chasing a carjacking suspect.

Julian Becerra is survived by his wife Katie and a young daughter. He worked for the Fontana Police Department for four and a half years.

Becerra has been in critical condition since the February 2 fall. Fontana police said in a press release Friday morning that he was on life support and surrounded by family and friends. A police department statement on Saturday evening said he died from his injuries.

Two days after the fall of Becerra, his brother-in-law David Alderman called him a wonderful father.

“Having two daughters of my own has really taught me a lot about being a father,” Alderman said.

Police said Becerra was seriously injured while helping the parole unit of the Colorado Department of Corrections. The Parole Unit was looking for a car theft suspect from the Pueblo area who had warrants. According to preliminary data, the suspect was in a stolen car.

Police spotted the car outside the Citadel mall in Colorado Springs. After an intermittent chase, three car suspects attempted to steal someone at Love’s Travel Plaza in Fontana.

Police pursued the suspects north on Interstate 25. The suspect vehicle exited the Interstate at South Academy Boulevard and police used stop sticks to partially disable it, police said.

Fountain officers then used the vehicle’s tactical maneuvers to finally bring the vehicle to a halt. The driver jumped out of the car and ran,” police said. Becerra fell off the bridge as officers tried to apprehend the suspect, according to police. Becerra was then airlifted to the hospital.

As a result, law enforcement officers detained three suspects. Charges related to the stalking incident are pending, police said.

“This is a difficult time for our city and I want all of our police officers and first responders to know that we stand by them,” Fontana Mayor Sharon Thompson said Sunday.

Thompson said the men who led police in the pursuit of the stolen car that eventually killed Becerra should have been in jail by now.

“The suspects pursued by Officer Becerra the night he was severely wounded were criminals with several active warrants for their arrest. First, they were never supposed to go outside,” Thompson said.

Outside Fontana Police Department, Becerra’s patrol car is now a memorial. Dozens of bouquets of flowers, notes and inscriptions hang on the car.

“It breaks my heart because I know that he is a young guy and he has a young family. He left behind a community,” said Shelley Rapoza, who stopped to lay flowers at the car. “I grew up in Fontana and just felt the need. I just wanted to pay my respects. That doesn’t happen often in Fontana.”

We still don’t know the details of what happened before Becerra fell off the bridge. Fontana police said they are now focused on the mountain and are not answering questions about what happened on the night of the car chase.

Here you can make donations to the Becerra family. Those wishing to donate should check the “Assigned” box and enter Julian Becerra in the “Assignee Name” field.

Becerra’s brother-in-law started his own GoFundMe campaign for his sister and her family.

SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations and crimes