KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | Reedley Officer Donates Organs

Reedley Officer Donates Organs

Fresno –  The second officer killed in the Minkler shootout, Reedley police officer Javier Bejar, will be laid to rest on Monday.

But even in death, he is saving lives.

Reedley police officer Javier Bejar answered the call for help on February 25^th, and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Officer Bejar was rushed to the hospital after he was shot, but he did not pass away, before performing one last life-saving deed.

"His wife and family had expressed his wishes, and he was on the organ registry before his death, so that was one of his wishes, to be an organ donor," said Calli Biaggi, a spokesperson for the Reedley Police Department.

Bejar was kept on life support at Community Regional Medical Center for several days, so his organs can be recovered.

He passed away, on March 1^st.

Although strict laws prohibit anyone but family members from talking about the organ donation, sources from two different law enforcement agencies tell KMPH, a retired CHP officer is the recipient of one of Bejar's kidneys.

Family members did indicate they had  hoped to Officer Bejar's organs, would help someone in law enforcement.

"They hope if that there was any law enforcement families, they could help them in their time of need," said Biaggi.

There is a long list of people in line for a kidney transplant in the Valley.

"The organ that most people are waiting for right now is kidney. For those people undergoing dialysis, it can be a several year waiting process," said Jaclyn Manzanedo, with the California Transplant Donor Network.

She says for every one organ donor as many as three other lives can potentially be saved.

"In 2009 we had approximately 50 donors from the Valley, and that translates to 150 organs. That's 150 people that received a phone call that saved their life," said Manzanedo.

Officer Bejar signed up to be an organ donor before he passed away.

He was 28 years old.

He is the first officer in Reedley's 100 year history to die in the line of duty.

If you would like to sign up to become an organ donor, you can go to www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.