Chief: Wounded officer regaining consciousness

Published September 5, 2014 5:52pm ET



SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — San Bernardino’s police chief says an officer critically wounded in a shooting last month is regaining consciousness.

In a Twitter message Thursday, Chief Jarrod Burguan said Officer Gabriel Garcia is showing signs of improvement.

The 31-year-old has been in a medically induced coma with a brain injury since the Aug. 22 shooting.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports (http://bit.ly/1u70ymW ) that later at an anti-violence vigil outside City Hall, Burguan said Garcia is showing signs that he is recognizing that there are people around him.

Garcia and his partner were approaching a group of people when one man opened fire with a handgun and an assault rifle.

Garcia was hit once in the head. His partner killed the gunman.

Three people have been charged with attempted murder.