Officer Austin Machitar Memorial Park dedicated in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A Clairemont park got a new name this weekend to honor San Diego Police Officer Austin Machitar, who was killed in the line of duty last August.

North Clairemont Community Park was officially renamed Officer Austin Machitar Memorial Park during a dedication ceremony on Sunday morning.

Machitar was with SDPD’s Northern Division for five years. He died when the driver of a vehicle involved in a police pursuit slammed into his patrol car while he was on duty.

“Be reminded of a young man who gave everything he had to make this city safer, kinder and stronger,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who proposed the renaming.

Machitar was remembered by his colleagues as a mentor and a friend who brought positivity to every shift.

The San Diego Police Officers Association donated funds for new signage and park updates completed ahead of the dedication. 

The proposal to rename the park received unanimous support from the city’s Parks and Recreation Board and the local community.

Family and friends say the new name is a lasting reminder of Machitar’s service and sacrifice.

“Then he gets a call in his radio ear and says, 'I have to go do something else for the community,” his dad recalled. “And I said, ‘Son, you did something really good for the community.’”