'What's the justification?' Officer in Southern California punches man after fatally shooting him

New video taken moments after police fatally shot a man in San Bernardino County Tuesday shows an officer violently striking the suspect in the face three times after he had been shot and was on the ground.  

The deadly encounter occurred when an officer with the Fontana Police Department responded to the area of Chery Avenue and Baseline Road just before 2:20 p.m. on reports of a man armed with a metal pole assaulting a person and damaging property.  

Authorities say the suspect, now identified as 44-year-old Fontana resident Jesus Garcia, also smashed computers and registers in a nearby AutoZone.  

Police say the responding officer attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the man refused multiple commands to drop the weapon and surrender.   

“During the encounter, the suspect attacked the officer with the pipe, resulting in a lethal force response from the officer,” a Fontana PD news release stated.   

“It was like four or five shots that caught my attention and then I got out of my car and saw a person on the floor,” Arturo Garcia who witnessed the beating in the parking lot told KTLA.  

Footage of the incident shows the 44-year-old suspect on the ground in the parking lot writhing from one side to another on his back after being shot. An officer is then seen putting on gloves and telling Garcia to get on his stomach.  

As he attempts to get on his stomach, the officer steps over him, rolls him onto his back and strikes him in the face three times until Garcia goes completely limp.  

“I can’t comment on whether it was appropriate or not,” Steve Reed, with the Fontana Police Department, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “When we’re trying to detain someone, we have to take the force necessary to make that detention. Like I said, from the video, it appears he was actively resisting.”  

Officials at the police department said they were aware of videos circulating on social media showing the beating after Garcia was shot and added that the video only showed a portion of the incident.  

“It is important to note that this video only shows a small portion of the event in its entirety. The Fontana Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation into the entirety of the incident,” a Fontana PD news release stated.  

Reserve officer Dennis Zine has worked in law enforcement for more than 55 years and believes the shooting portion of the encounter was likely justified because the suspect attacked the officer.  

It’s what happened before the officer eventually handcuffed the 44-year-old and rendered aid that he feels puts the officer’s actions into question.  

“The individual was neutralized, he’s no longer a threat to you,” Zine explained. “The man is on the ground, he has no weapons in his hands. What’s the justification for striking?” 

The 44-year-old was later taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.  

The officer was also taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the ordeal, though the extent of his injuries and current condition are unclear.  

Per protocol, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will handle the investigation into the incident.