Fort Worth honors fallen police officer on 20-year anniversary of his death
A Fort Worth police officer killed in the line of duty is being immortalized with signage along a section of north Loop 820.
Officer Henry “Hank” Nava served with the Fort Worth Police Department for 13 years. The 39-year-old father of two died Dec. 1, 2005, two days after being shot while attempting to arrest a man on a felony parole violation.
The Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved a memorial marker agreement that will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to place signs honoring Nava along the section of Loop 820 between Interstate 35W and Marine Creek Parkway.
The signs are more than just a memorial, said Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Flores speaking at the Nov. 11 council meeting.
“It shows for us and all who travel that roadway that Hank Nava made the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of his duty, and that will not be forgotten,” Flores said.
During his time with the department, Nava served as a community police officer, school resource officer, and a member of the North division’s crime response team.
He was bright, friendly, and universally trusted by all his colleagues, according to Star-Telegram reporting at the time.
He distinguished himself for his tenacity, and for setting a high standard for his fellow officers in the crime response team.
“There was only one speed with Hank: full,” said former Fort Worth police officer Royce Hearne, speaking to the Star-Telegram two days after Nava’s death.
Nava’s patrol car became a memorial after it was parked at the corner of Ellis and 25th streets after his death. Community members wrote notes on the side, and left stuffed animals and flowers in recognition of Nava’s memory.
His daughter, KayLeigh Nava, thanked the council for recognizing her father on the 20-year anniversary of his death.
“He loved his family well. He loved his community well, and his story is one of the many that makes Fort Worth so great,” KayLeigh Nava said.
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