Man Shot, Killed by Pleasanton Police Identified as Reserve Police Officer's Son

An attorney for the family of a man shot and killed by Pleasanton police on Sunday morning said he has “grave concerns” about the police practices that led to the shooting. In a statement, attorney Mark Geragos identified the man as 19-year-old John Deming Jr., a recent graduate from Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose and the son of an Oakdale reserve police officer.

Deming was shot after police officers responded to a burglary alarm at Specialty Sales Classics, a car dealership at 4321 First St., just after 2 a.m. Sunday. According to police, Deming was outside acting agitated and aggressive when they arrived. He refused to comply with the officers’ commands and ran back into the car dealership.

He tried to escape through a broken rear window at the car dealership, but one of the officers chased him, police said. There was an altercation and the officer shot Deming. Deming was rushed to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley but was pronounced dead a short time later. The officer suffered minor injuries in the confrontation.

According to Geragos, after the shooting, police searched Deming’s mother’s home for evidence. Without informing Linda Deming of her son’s death, they handcuffed her in her backyard at gunpoint, searched the residence and seized electronic devices.

When she asked where her son was, they told her simply, “He is with the sheriff’s department,” according to Geragos. Deming was a football player, aspiring musician and active churchgoer who had never been arrested, according to Geragos.

His father, Oakdale reserve police Officer John Deming Sr., said in a statement, “My son Johnathon has always been a kind, loving, well-mannered and talented young man who respected others, loved music and had a boundless thirst for life.”

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• Burglary Suspect Fatally Shot by Pleasanton Police Was San Jose Man
• Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Closes Portions of First Street in Pleasanton
• Police: Officer Involved in Fatal Shooting Sunday Found Unresponsive After Shooting

“Johnathon was fun, helpful and outgoing, he always did the right thing. He valued his friends and family and put others first. I will miss him every moment of every day,” Deming said.

The family has retained Geragos, a high-profile attorney based in Southern California who has represented clients such as Chris Brown and Michael Jackson, “to guide the family and ascertain the truth of how and why John was killed,” according to the attorney’s statement.

Pleasanton police released details about the fatal shooting this afternoon.

Full story here:

• Police: Officer Involved in Fatal Shooting Sunday Found Unresponsive After Shooting

By Bay City News