Slain policeman's daughter thanks his fellow officers

FORT WORTH -- Police officers usually use the computers in their patrol cars to communicate with one another about their jobs.

On Monday night, three officers used it to share with colleagues an especially touching encounter.

"We were just in IHOP having dinner and getting ready to pay when our waitress told us that someone took care of our check," the message read. "We asked her who so we could thank them, and she pointed to a young girl who couldn't have been more than 15 years old. When we left we stopped to talk to her. She introduced herself as KayLeigh Nava, Hank's daughter. She thanked us with tears in her eyes for what we do. Just thought everybody should know that."

Officer Hank Nava died Dec. 1, 2005, two days after being shot during a gunbattle inside a northwest Fort Worth trailer with an ex-convict wanted on a parole violation warrant.

Stephen Heard was convicted of capital murder in the case and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

KayLeigh was 9 at the time of her father's death and her brother, Justin, was just 4.

The children, along with their mother, Teresa, started the HANK Foundation -- Helping Another Next of Kin -- a nonprofit benefiting local police officers and their families.

This story was originally published May 17, 2011 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Slain policeman's daughter thanks his fellow officers."