Supervisor recalls Marine shot by Calif. deputy - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Supervisor recalls Marine shot by Calif. deputy

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — A Marine shot to death by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy in a high school parking lot was deeply religious and regularly took early morning prayer walks with his daughters, a supervisor said.

Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was a devout Christian who walked at the San Clemente High School track with his family early in the morning, Maj. Christopher Cox told The Los Angeles Times.

Authorities say a deputy tried to pull over Loggins for a traffic violation about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when he drove through the school parking lot gate.

Authorities say Loggins ignored the deputy’s orders and when he walked back toward the SUV, the deputy feared for his life and fired.

Loggins’ 9- and 14-year-old daughters were in the SUV at the time. Neither was injured.

Loggins’ wife usually walked with the family but had stopped going because she is pregnant, Cox said.

“He was a mentor, somewhat of a father figure, to a number of the Marines,” Cox told the newspaper. “He was very soft-spoken, very nonconfrontational — very, very respectful. He was just the epitome of respect.”

The deputy who shot Loggins was placed on administrative leave. The Orange County district attorney’s office is investigating the shooting.

Loggins, 31, of Joliet, Ill., enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1998. He was a transportation management specialist assigned to Camp Pendleton, Capt. Barry Edwards said in a statement.

Loggins received multiple medals and commendations from the military. He had no deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan, Edwards said.