The Gilroy police officer who shot and killed a man on the side
of Highway 152 in February was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Santa
Clara County criminal grand jury.
The Gilroy police officer who shot and killed a man on the side of Highway 152 in February was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Santa Clara County criminal grand jury.
Feb. 8, Officer Eustaquio “Paco” Rodriguez, a six-year veteran of the Gilroy Police Department, was traveling westbound on Highway 152 on an hour long drive back to Gilroy from Gustine, where he served a subpoena. He spotted a man – Gurmit Singh, 33 – lying on the road, partially on the roadway. Singh had been involved in a violent dispute with family members prior to being left on the side of the road, police said. When Rodriguez stopped to help the man, Singh attacked him, provoking Rodriguez to pull his gun and fire. Singh was declared dead several hours later at a San Jose hospital.
Five months later, Rodriguez was cleared completely, Assistant District Attorney David Tompkins said. The 19-juror criminal grand jury did not return an indictment after investigating the homicide of Singh, he said.
The grand jury “found that there wasn’t even a reasonable suspicion,” Tompkins said.
More on this developing story will be posted throughout the day.
