Flags are at half-staff in Sacramento in honor of a San Diego police officer killed on Monday

Californians may have noticed some flags are flying at half-staff this week due to the death of a San Diego police officer on Monday.

Flags were lowered at the State Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Tuesday evening and will continue that way through Friday, the governor's office confirmed in an email. In addition, the flag at the San Diego Police Northern Division station was at half-staff, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Wednesday.

Austin Machitar, 30, was killed when he and officer Zach Martinez were involved in a collision in San Diego while responding to a vehicle pursuit on Aug. 26, the San Diego Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday.

The incident occurred after a vehicle, driving at a high speed, failed to stop when an officer tried to make a traffic stop, the Associated Press reported . A brief pursuit occurred before a supervisor canceled it due to the high speed involved. Machitar and Martinez were responding to this incident “when the speeding vehicle crashed into the side of their patrol car,” according to AP .

The suspect, identified as 16-year-old Edgar Giovanny Oviedo by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office , was pronounced dead at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego.

Who was Austin Machitar?

Machitar spent 5 1/2 years with the San Diego Police Department, Chief Scott Wahl said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“Austin was the kind of guy you want in your team,” Wahl said, describing the 30-year-old as “athletic” and “a competitor” who had a passion for training.

Machitar was a field training officer who “took an active role in recruiting new officers,” according to the news release. Martinez was a former trainee of his.

Machitar had an “infectious smile” and is survived by his sister and parents, Wahl said.

“Our focus is going to be helping them grieve and get through this process,” Wahl said of Machitar’s family.

What is the condition of San Diego Police officer Zach Martinez?

Martinez, 27, was in “critical but stable condition,” the news release said. He was described as having “extremely grave” wounds by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria at Tuesday’s news conference.

Martinez has been with the San Diego Police Department for over a year.

Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Flags are at half-staff in Sacramento in honor of a San Diego police officer killed on Monday