SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego police officers and civilian employees gathered at SDPD headquarters Wednesday to donate blood in memory of Officer Austin Machitar, who died in the line of duty two years ago.
Machitar, a five-year veteran of the force, was only 30 years old when he was killed on August 26, 2024, while responding to a car chase.
His partner was seriously injured in the same crash.
San Diego Police Sgt. Jessica Thrift, a close friend of the Machitar family, helped organize the blood drive, said the event is a way to keep his memory alive within the department and the broader community.
"I want people to know that Austin was an awesome brother. He was an awesome friend. He was an awesome officer, and this is just one way that we can continue his legacy here within the San Diego Police Department and the city of San Diego," Thrift said.
Thrift said the drive carries meaning beyond honoring Machitar's memory.
"It's important to me because it gives back to other lives, and his life was very important. Unfortunately, we lost him in a tragic way, but it's a reminder to our community how Austin gave back all the time," Thrift said.
Others at the event said Machitar's death left a lasting impact on the department.
"I was working that night during the accident, and even since then his death has affected our department, and his honor having this blood drive can kind of continue that legacy of helping the community," said San Diego Police Sgt. Saum Poorsaleh.
One donor said even though he didn’t know Machitar personally, he felt it was important to give blood.
“Because I work for SDPD and this kind of relates to me personally. All my life, I was doing this since I was 18, and I think it’s important if you can [give blood], you should,” said Serge Dickstein, a civilian employee of the department.
Last year, the American Red Cross collected more than 50 units of blood at the event. Organizers hoped to exceed that total this year.
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