SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The father of La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, who was killed on October 20th while helping a driver in a rollover crash on Highway 8 this week, spoke about his daughter's inspirational call to service and the compassion she showed everyone she encountered.
David Craven spoke over Zoom from his daughter's hometown in Bend, Oregon, sharing memories of the 25-year-old officer who had just celebrated her birthday on October 7th.
Watch the full interview below:
"It's gonna be hard for a long time, but I'm doing this conversation with you because I want people to know what was in Lauren's heart and the compassion that she showed everybody she came in contact with," Craven said.
The last time Craven said he spoke with his daughter was on her way to work the night she was killed.
Two police officers with the Bend Police Department came knocking on his door in the middle of the night to deliver the devastating news.
"They said, can we come inside? And I said, is this about my daughter Lauren? He said, yeah. I said, is she dead? They said, unfortunately, yes. So where do you go from there?" Craven said.
In that moment, Craven's world was shattered.
Since Monday night, David has been processing every memory of Lauren, starting from the beginning of her journey to becoming a police officer.
Craven said Lauren decided to pursue law enforcement after she was traumatically assaulted in college. A kind detective who helped her during that difficult time inspired her career choice.
"And Lauren thought so much of the difference between those two that she said right then and there, I want to dedicate my life to being that good cop for anybody who needs me," Craven said.
Craven shared how Lauren defied the odds of becoming a police officer, knowing it would be challenging. Initially, she looked at the physical requirements and thought she couldn't meet them.
However, her dream pushed her forward, and she turned that dream into reality.
"I thought, damn, you just turned your biggest fear into a source of motivation. Nothing's gonna stop you, and it didn't," Craven said.
When asked what he would miss most and remember his daughter as, Craven's answer was simple: "A best friend."
As a grieving father, he's thinking about the what-ifs – Craven thinks back to the day when Lauren celebrated passing her tests and graduating from the police academy.
"Had she failed that test? I'd still have her," Craven said. "But she would not have achieved her dream. A lot of people never get to a place where they're loving what they're doing and doing what they seem to be born to do. She did."
