Hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to slain Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen during a funeral service Thursday.
The service began at 10 a.m. and was held at Lancaster Baptist Church, located at 4030 East Lancaster Boulevard.
A sign reading, “In Loving Memory of Sgt. Steve Owen,” could be seen in front of the church early Thursday morning.
Owen’s family arrived at the church, followed by dozens of patrol vehicles and motorcycles, in a procession that began about 8:45 a.m. and wound its way through Lancaster.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who spoke during the service, said law enforcement personnel from more than 65 agencies, traveling from as far away as New York, were in attendance.
“Steve was and always will be larger than life,” McDonnell said. “To numerous people in the Antelope Valley community Sgt. Owen was the most well known deputy in the AV.”
Working in public service was what Owen was born to do, McDonnell said.
“Because of Steve, there were children in need who received toys at Christmas, or a pair of shoes when they were on the verge of going to school barefoot,” McDonnell said.
Owen was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2014 for saving the life of a hostage who was being held at gunpoint in a car.
To conclude, McDonnell told Owen’s family the department was also part of their family and that Owen would never be forgotten.
“We will make sure that the legacy of your husband, son, father and brother will remain in our hearts and at the core of what we do,” McDonnell said.
Owen, 53, was shot after responding to a burglary call just after noon on Oct. 5.
The man suspected in the shooting, Trenton Trevon Lovell, then stood over Owen and shot him four times “execution-style,” sheriff’s officials said. Owen died after being taken to Antelope Valley Hospital.
Lovell has been charged with capital murder in connection with the sergeant’s death.
Owen is survived by his wife Tania, adult sons Brandon and Chad, stepdaughter Shannon and mother Millie.
Family members thanked supporters in a public statement over the weekend.
“We want to say thank you for the love and support you have shown our family as we mourn the loss of our husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and ultimately our HERO, Sgt. Steve Owen,” a portion of the statement, which was posted on Facebook, read.
Thursday’s service, which was also attended by Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris, was closed to the public.