Officer Gerald N. Harris

Kern County

Officer Gerald N. Harris, 36, was directing traffic at an intersection in Bakersfield when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.  The impact threw Officer Harris through the vehicle’s windshield.  The passenger riding in the front seat pushed Officer Harris back through the windshield and onto the pavement before fleeing the scene.  The driver was apprehended and served 12 months in the county jail.  The patrol officer sustained several injuries which required special medical treatment.  The president of Continental Telephone in Bakersfield offered his company’s private jet to fly Officer Harris to specialists in San Francisco, but Officer Harris died from an embolism before the flight.  Officer Harris was a seven-year member of the Patrol.