Officer Jose Gilbert Vega, 63, was killed on October 8, 2016, in Palm Springs, California, while responding to a domestic disturbance on Cypress Road. A 35-year veteran of the Palm Springs Police Department who had volunteered for an overtime shift two months before his planned retirement, Vega and Officer Lesley Zerebny were shot through the front door by the suspect, John Hernandez Felix. A third officer was wounded and survived.

Felix was found wearing body armor and carrying high-capacity magazines. Vega is survived by his wife and eight children; Zerebny left behind her husband and a four-month-old daughter.

The legal aftermath included charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder; subsequent conviction and a jury recommendation of the death penalty are reported. What can anyone who knew Officer Vega or his work in Palm Springs share about his life and service?