Former football center Geoff Hyde was shot during an alleged drug deal in November.
Celina Oseguera
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The San Luis Obispo District Attorney office on Jan. 28 charged Castro Valley resident Brian Thomas Gonzales with four felony charges in connection with the November shooting of former Cal Poly football player and current student Geoffrey Hyde, according to a San Luis Obispo Tribune article. Gonzales was charged as an accomplice to the crime. The San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) is still searching for the alleged shooter, the article said.
Although an arrest warrant and charges have been filed against Gonzales, SLOPD is still in the process of contacting him, SLOPD Capt. Chris Staley said.
Police believe that Gonzales is not currently in San Luis Obispo, the article said.
The shooting occurred at a residence on the 400 block of Buena Vista Avenue on Nov. 21. According to a SLOPD press release, the shooting happened during an alleged drug transaction between Hyde and the two suspects: Gonzales and the shooter. The bullet went into Hyde’s right shoulder blade.
Hyde — a fifth-year senior — was treated at the scene then sent to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for surgery. The surgery was successful and he remained in stable condition.
The two suspects, according to a statement Hyde gave officers, were friends of his roommate, Andrew Alcaraz. Alcaraz is a fifth-year senior and was part of the 2013 Cal Poly football team. Since he is now a fifth-year, Alcaraz is no longer eligible to play, the San Luis Obispo Tribune article recorded a Cal Poly official saying.
According to the article, Hyde allegedly told officers he knew Gonzales, also known as “Pooh Bear,” but did not know the shooter. The SLOPD press release identified the shooter as “a male black in his 20’s, approximately 6’0” tall with a lanky build.”
Hyde played Cal Poly football from 2009-2012. He became a volunteer assistant coach for Fall 2013. Shortly after the incident, Hyde’s assistant coach status was revoked and his name was taken off the football roster staff list. He is also prohibited from any further Cal Poly football activity, according to an email from Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier.
As of now, Hyde has not been charged with any crimes, according to the Tribune. But the investigation is still ongoing.
“We don’t know that he is (going to be charged) or not,” SLOPD Lt. Bledsoe told the Tribune. “Mr. Hyde was obviously very seriously injured in this, and at this point we’re trying to resolve the shooting aspect of the investigation.”
The university’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities is conducting an investigation into the matter, Lazier said. This university case is independent from the SLOPD investigation, and details cannot be disclosed because of student privacy issues, Lazier said.