The Latest: Service for fallen officer ends with procession

The Latest: Service for fallen officer ends with procession


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DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a memorial service for a rookie police officer in California (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

Thousands of uniformed officers are leaving the memorial of a young California police officer who was killed on duty.

Natalie Corona was a Davis police officer who was shot and killed Jan. 10 while responding to a routine traffic call.

Her father, Merced Corona, eulogized his daughter's spirit and dedication to the profession, with wife Lupe by his side.

The retired Colusa County sheriff's deputy said he tried to get his daughter to work for the county, but she said that she had found "the perfect department in the perfect city."

Her casket will travel in a procession to Arbuckle about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Davis, where the Corona family lives. The slain officer is survived by her mother, her father and three younger sisters.

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12:25 p.m.

A California police chief has apologized to the parents of a slain rookie officer for failing to get her home safely, saying they had delivered the "perfect cop."

Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a medal of distinction at a packed memorial service for Natalie Corona.

Corona was shot and killed last week when she responded to a three-car crash.

Police are still investigating the motive for the attack. The gunman has been identified as a 48-year-old convict who was banned from owning firearms and took his own life after shooting Corona.

Pytel says that although the person who "committed this atrocity" is known, why he did it may never be.

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11:45 a.m.

Musician Billy Ray Cyrus is singing a song he wrote for soldiers of the Vietnam War at a service for a 22-year-old rookie officer killed in the line of duty.

He said that Davis Officer Natalie Corona's smile touched his heart. He called her a "light in this world that won't be forgotten."

Bagpipes played as pallbearers solemnly carried her flag-draped casket to a packed memorial at the University of California, Davis.

All 8,000 seats are filled with officers, family, friends and members of the community to bid farewell to Corona, who had wanted to be an officer just like her father.

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10:05 a.m.

A program at the memorial service for a California police officer described her as a compassionate, fun-loving 22-year-old whose passion for police work started when she was young.

The program for Friday's service says Natalie Corona's love for police work was more than just a career. The Davis police officer was shot and killed Jan. 10 while responding to a traffic call.

The program says Corona was a thrill seeker who went skydiving, loved roller coasters, liked shooting guns and going out with friends and family.

Uniformed officers are arriving for the 11 a.m. service at the University of California, Davis, and taking their seats holding their hats.

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12:05 a.m.

Officers are gathering to honor a 22-year-old police officer who was shot and killed just weeks into the job while responding to a traffic crash in a Northern California college town.

Friday's service for Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona will be held at the University of California, Davis.

UC Davis said it expects up to 6,000 officers in addition to family members, friends and members of the public.

Corona was shot and killed on Jan. 10 when she responded alone to the scene of a three-car crash.

Police are still investigating the motive for the attack. The gunman has been identified as a 48-year-old convict who was banned from owning firearms and took his own life after shooting Corona.

___

10:05 a.m.

A program at the memorial service for a California police officer described her as a compassionate, fun-loving 22-year-old whose passion for police work started when she was young.

The program for Friday's service says Natalie Corona's love for police work was more than just a career. The Davis police officer was shot and killed Jan. 10 while responding to a traffic call.

The program says Corona was a thrill seeker who went skydiving, loved roller coasters, liked shooting guns and going out with friends and family.

Uniformed officers are arriving for the 11 a.m. service at the University of California, Davis, and taking their seats holding their hats.

___

12:05 a.m.

Officers are gathering to honor a 22-year-old police officer who was shot and killed just weeks into the job while responding to a traffic crash in a Northern California college town.

Friday's service for Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona will be held at the University of California, Davis.

UC Davis said it expects up to 6,000 officers in addition to family members, friends and members of the public.

Corona was shot and killed on Jan. 10 when she responded alone to the scene of a three-car crash.

Police are still investigating the motive for the attack. The gunman has been identified as a 48-year-old convict who was banned from owning firearms and took his own life after shooting Corona.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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