San Jose police identify community service officer killed by alleged DUI driver

SAN JOSE — Authorities on Monday identified a community service officer killed by a driver allegedly under the influence Saturday night when the driver struck a parked police vehicle as the officer helped direct traffic around an earlier crash.

Long Pham, a longtime San Jose resident, who had worked as a community service officer since 2022, San Jose police officials said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

“Today, our police family is heartbroken,” said acting police Chief Paul Joseph. “We were – and are – shocked, devastated and angry.”

A second community service officer, Veronica Baer, was severely injured in the crash – sustaining a dislocated shoulder, broken jaw, broken ribs and a brain bleed, Joseph said.

The two officers were struck by their own car after an allegedly intoxicated driver plowed into the vehicle while the pair were conducting traffic control on Monterey Road in response to a separate collision. The driver, identified Monday as 44-year-old Juan Huerta-Palacios, was taken into custody on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI, police said.

The tragedy marked the first time a community service officer has been killed in the line of duty in the department’s history, Joseph said.

Long was born in Saigon, Vietnam and moved to the United States at 13 months old, Joseph said. He was inspired to become a law enforcement officer after witnessing a local police officer commit an abuse of power while on a trip to Vietnam in 2011, Joseph added.

“He was an intensely dedicated son and brother to his family,” he added. “Long was gentle, polite and respectful to everyone.”

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan recalled meeting Long and his family at a school event last year, noting his kindness and “big smile.”

“He put the safety of our community — the community he grew up in — before his own,” Mahan said. “There is no more heroic act.”

The officers were stationed behind cones and flares at the crash scene Saturday night, but Huerta-Palacios barreled through and crashed into the parked community service vehicle, which then hit the officers, authorities said.

“They were performing an essential duty necessary to facilitate safe passage for the public following an accident,” Joseph said. “It is a task that is as dangerous as it is routine.”

Huerta-Palacios, who was driving a Dodge Charger, has had prior arrests for DUI in California, authorities said. It was not immediately clear if either of those arrests resulted in charges or convictions.

The suspect was taken to the hospital for an unrelated medical issue, police said, and will be booked into Santa Clara County Jail after his discharge.

“The decision by this individual to get behind the wheel while intoxicated is disgraceful,” Joseph said.

Officers provided life-saving measures to Long, but he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, police said. Baer continues to recover at the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and remains in serious but stable condition, authorities said Monday.

“Her strength and resilience are a testament to her dedication to public service,” Joseph said.

Mahan added that a person is killed by a drunk driver in the United States every 45 minutes.

“This time, that person happened to be someone protecting our city – a public servant – but far too many families know what Long’s loved ones are experiencing right now,” Mahan said. “Now, the reckless, selfish actions of another person changed their lives forever. It’s unacceptable, it’s tragic and it’s preventable.”

Mahan urged drivers to imagine their loved ones in the cars in front of them, adding that community members “need to look out for each other in honor of the memory of Long.”

Community service officers – a position implemented by San Jose in 2014 – respond to lower priority calls, issue parking citations, provide crowd and traffic control and investigate crimes such as burglary and vandalism. Community service officers attend an eight-week training academy compared to the 30-week academy for police officers. SJPD currently employs about 72 community service officers, according to the agency’s website.

SJPD is working with Pham’s family to determine how the department will remember and honor him, Joseph said.

“We will never forget the sacrifice made by Long Pham and his family, which occurred from choosing to wear the San Jose uniform and serve this community,” Joseph said