By Joe Goldeen
The Record
STOCKTON, Calif. — An off-duty Stockton police officer known as “a cop’s cop” was killed in a hit-and-run collision Saturday night west of Escalon, authorities reported.
Officer Justin Kepler, 28, a four-year veteran of the force who was working as a field training officer, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the two-vehicle crash that occurred about 10:10 p.m. on Highway 120 at Brennan Road, according to information provided by both the California Highway Patrol and Stockton Police Department.
The CHP reported that Kepler was riding a 2013 Victory motorcycle eastbound on the two-lane highway at an unknown speed when a 1993 Chevrolet traveling northbound on Brennan pulled out directly in front of him.
Kepler was unable to avoid a collision. The front of his motorcycle struck the left front fender of the Chevrolet, ejecting Kepler, who succumbed to his injuries at the scene, according to the CHP.
The driver of the Chevrolet, Isidro Urista-Meza, 27, allegedly fled the crash scene on foot but was later arrested and booked into San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp on suspicion of being an unlicensed driver, felony hit and run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The CHP determined that neither alcohol nor drugs were a factor in the collision.
Bail has been set in excess of $500,000 for Urista-Meza, and he is scheduled to appear in the Manteca Branch of San Joaquin County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
During their initial investigation, the CHP was unable to determine if Urista-Meza stopped at the stop sign on Brennan Road before pulling out onto the highway.
Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones came into work Sunday to mourn with Kepler’s fellow officers.
“That’s why I’m down here today, so we can work through this, so we can talk through this,” Jones said.
“This affects our entire Police Department. It is a very, very sad time for us. We will be with the family, of course, always. We will be with the officers who were on his shift. We will also be with the entire Police Department during this difficult time.”
Kepler, hired in April 2012, was at a relatively young age to be working as a field training officer, going out on patrol with new officers to show them the ropes. He was not married and had no children, Jones said, but he came from a law enforcement family.
“He was described by many of his peers and friends as a cop’s cop,” Jones said. “He put his own life on the line every day for the citizens of Stockton, for his community.”
As news of Kepler’s death spread, Jones said, “Our community has already been reaching out to us, talking about what a great police officer he was and what a great attribute he was for the Stockton Police Department.
“We lost an incredible man and an incredible police officer.”