SAN BERNARDINO >> A rookie police officer who killed the gunman who shot police Officer Gabriel Garcia nearly a year ago will receive the Medal of Valor by the governor.

The honor is the highest state award for valor presented to a public safety officer.

Police Officer Marcus Pesquera, 24, will receive the Medal of Valor for his actions on Aug. 22, 2014, in San Bernardino, according to the state Department of Justice.

Pesquera yelled for Garcia, who was serving as his training officer. Getting no response, he put himself into harm’s way searching for his partner.

Five people were detained following the Aug. 22 incident, and three men were later charged.

San Bernardino residents Jonathan Contreras, 20, Orlando Cruz, 24, and Gonzalo Medina, 22 were each charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and one count of possession of an assault weapon, an AK-47, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office stated Aug. 26. None of the men were believed to have fired a weapon.

“They were all together in a location, in a vehicle, a and they all had knowledge of these weapons,” District Attorney Michael A. Ramos said at the time. “We have no doubt that all these individuals are guilty.”

The shooting occurred when two officers approached a group of people for unknown reasons in the 1900 block of Garner Avenue (map) around 2:07 a.m., San Bernardino Police Department Chief Jarrod Burguan said.

“They were armed when the officers approached,” Burguan said.

The senior officer, identified as 31-year-old Gabriel Garcia, was almost immediately struck by gunfire and quickly went down, the chief said. Garcia is the son of a captain on the force, police confirmed.

The officer was shot at least once in the head, police Lt. Rich Lawhead said.