Shooting Victim’s Academy Class Goes Somberly About Its Business

The 68 remaining members of the 74th San Diego County sheriff’s academy gathered early Tuesday morning to hear details of the shooting death of fellow recruit Kelly A. Bazer and an admonition that they must conduct business as usual.

But as long classroom lectures stretched on during the seventh day of the academy at Southwestern College and the reality of Bazer’s death set in, some of the glassy-eyed trainees could not hold back tears. By late Tuesday afternoon, many still appeared saddened and grim, and they declined requests for interviews.

“We’re still in shock,” said Maria Bailey, one of the few trainees who got to know Bazer during the first week of the academy. “We’re sticking together.”

In contrast to the lively atmosphere during the first week, a somber mood fell on the academy Tuesday as trainees quietly shuffled in and out of classrooms for lectures on robbery investigations, patrol methods and criminal court systems. Instructors wore a stripe of black tape over their deputy badges.

The academy staff used the daily 7:45 a.m. briefing to give trainees all available information about the shooting and answer any questions. The students were warned that they would probably be badgered by the media and were told not to let reporters harass them.

“A couple were in tears,” said Deputy Jack Strumsky. “Some of them weren’t sure what they were feeling. . . . A lot of them have been pummeled by this all day. It has affected them quite a bit.” Strumsky said that some of the trainees hadn’t gotten to know Bazer.

“If it had happened two months down the road, it would have hit them a lot harder,” Strumsky said. “They get to be like family.”

He said one trainee expressed reservations about attending a scheduled visit to the coroner’s office early this morning to witness autopsies.

Staff members said they advised students on the importance of staying together as a unit in the face of adversity and pressing ahead with the remaining 17 weeks of the academy.

“Life must go on,” said Deputy Kenneth Culver. “We must go ahead with the business at hand.”

In describing details of the shooting, deputies emphasized that Bazer was not killed in the line of duty and that the victim could have been a trainee, a neighbor, a friend or anyone else.

Bazer had stopped to see relatives after leaving the academy Monday evening when she was confronted by two armed robbers who demanded the keys to her car. A scuffle followed and Bazer was shot once in the back.

“There was no way she had any sufficient training yet to go anywhere with it,” Strumsky said. “They accosted her that quickly.”

Sheriff’s Department officials said it was unlikely that Bazer’s assailants recognized her as a deputy trainee. She was still wearing her academy uniform--green pants, a white shirt and a black tie--but had no identifying badges.

Trainees are instructed never to wear their uniforms in public without a “cover” jacket and to keep equipment such as service revolvers, batons and holsters covered in their vehicles. The trainees had attended one firearms lecture but had not yet been to the shooting range.

Sheriff’s officials said Bazer apparently followed the academy regulations and was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

Some instructors and students said the tragedy brought the trainees closer together Tuesday and strengthened their resolve to get through the grueling course. Five people dropped out of the academy in the first week.

“Basically, I think it’s kind of strengthened everything a little bit,” trainee Darryl Kimball said. “It’s made everybody stop and think a little bit more.”