Honoring the Memory of Dejon: The Untold Story

My name is Susan Klat. I am the grandmother of the beloved Dejon Marques Heard. On July 6, 2024, Dejon was fatally wounded in Birdrock, La Jolla, by two San Diego Police Officers, with investigating detectives claiming they could not identify the man killed to delay notifying the next of kin. Following the shooting incident, Police immediately set up camp with local media and began circulating a story of a knife to downplay the shooting of an unarmed man in the streets of La Jolla - where events like this never take place. Here’s the breakdown of how law enforcement influenced public opinion without the Community noticing.

The Incident

On Saturday, around 7:06 am on the morning of July 6, 2024, 25-year-old Dejon Heard was shot and killed by two San Diego Police Officers responding to reports of a man standing in the street, talking to himself while walking around a stalled car that was blocking an intersection of La Jolla Boulevard. Within 14 seconds of law enforcement’s arrival, two officers jumped out of their vehicle with weapons drawn (no time to assess) and shot Dejon three times at close range in the chest, fatally wounding him, knowing that he would not survive. Nobody knows what was behind the officer’s split-second decision to use deadly force, but it appears the officers knew Dejon (and Dejon knew the officers) based on both parties' fearless, bold “Let’s do this” coming at each other approach and recent lawsuit, filed by Dejon, naming SDPD as the defendant. (Pepper spray and taser were never mentioned when officers approached Dejon, so it's unclear if these less invasive weapons were deemed obsolete or simply on back order - I will update this post when more is known.)

Conflicting Reports - Unanswered Questions

Both responding officers involved claim they were informed by dispatch before arriving that Dejon was carrying a knife. However, upon review of the footage retrieved from the unaltered pixels extracted from the officers' body camera recordings released by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) three days after the shooting, it appears that Dejon was holding a gold iPhone, not a knife, in his right hand (with his car key- fob in his left hand which he dropped when he fell to the ground). According to police call logs, the only witness claiming to have observed Dejon wielding a knife was a retired deputy sheriff, Colleen Cowles, who claims she saw Dejon's hands while standing from a second-story balcony facing the street - which is suspicious given her location when events went down.

Medical Support Response

Witnesses report that medical attention was delayed - contrary to media reports, with onlookers observing Dejon choking and convulsing as a medical chest support device was applied, which would have accelerated Dejon's discomfort and early demise due to the location of the wounds. It's unknown if Dejon passed away before the ambulance arrived, but his chest wounds indicate he would not have survived for the 20-plus minutes it would have taken for first responders to arrive. Nonetheless, law enforcement claims Dejon was alive when he was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital within 22 minutes of being shot, where he was pronounced dead, according to the death certificate the medical examiner signed.

Family's Struggle - Retrieving Dejon's Possessions

When the family asked authorities for the return of Dejon's car, iPhone, and personal belongings (including his identification), the City of San Diego, San Diego Police Department, County Board of Supervisors, County Sheriff's Detectives, and the City of San Diego Mayor's Office Staff declined, with no explanation given. Seeing that Dejon’s car, iPhone, and personal items were not part of a crime scene (according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s July 6, 2024, 2:30 pm Press Release exonerating both officers of any wrongdoing), it’s unknown what law enforcement did with Dejon’s personal effects.

Private Autopsy Results Pending

On July 11, 2024, a private autopsy was arranged (NAAG Forensics PC, San Diego-based - separate from the County Sheriff's autopsy per law enforcement officer shooting a community member without permission protocol) (prominent red marks on Dejon's neck post-mortem, court records, Dejon's fearless approach, and history indicate both officers may have known Dejon before this shooting incident), with results from BOTH autopsies pending preliminary/final findings reported as of October 4, 2024.

Fundraiser Details

I have set a goal of $10,000 for this fundraiser and will adjust as needed. All proceeds will go towards the costs of securing the private autopsy, cremation expenses, upcoming memorial services, obituary publications (in California and Mesa, Arizona—Dejon attended college in the Fall of 2023), and costs anticipated to recover Dejon's car, iPhone, and personal belongings.

For anyone unable to contribute, it's not an issue; I am simply asking that you please share this page so that Dejon's story lives on and helps others find the courage to speak up when the community’s voice goes unheard and the call for justice is silenced and goes unnoticed.

Memorial Service Information

Dejon's Memorial services will be held at Saint Dunston's Church on October 26, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. The church is located at 6556 Park Ridge Boulevard, San Diego 92120. Following services, refreshments will be served in the church's adjacent parish hall. Friends, the community, and anyone wishing to attend are welcome.