Puerto Rico Police Department, Puerto Rico
End of Watch: Thursday, October 9, 1997
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 9, 1997
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Geraldo Santiago-Vazquez was killed while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect in Aibonito, Puerto Rico.
Officer Santiago-Vazquez responded to a call of a robbery just committed in the neighboring town of Barranquitas, and caught up with a suspect matching the description. The suspect, who turned out to be an escaped fugitive, gained control of Officer Santiago-Vazquez's service weapon in the middle of a struggle and shot him once in the chest, killing him instantly. In the same incident, Agent Dixon Matos-Colon was also killed later in the day, but not before shooting the suspect and injuring him. He was charged with two counts of first degree murder, assault, robbery, illegal weapon and escaping prison.
Officer Geraldo Santiago-Vazquez served the Puerto Rico Police Department for 11 years, and was assigned to the Aibonito District.