Fort Worth Officer Hank Nava’s legacy is remembered 21 years after his death
A fallen Fort Worth police officer was honored Monday morning as a portion of Loop 820 was named for him almost 21 years after his death in the line of duty.
Officer Henry “Hank” Nava Jr. was shot on Nov. 29, 2005, while attempting to arrest a man on a felony parole violation, and he died two days later. Nava spent 17 years in law enforcement serving the Fort Worth Police Department, Plano Police Department and Austin Park Police Department.
In November 2025, the Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved a resolution for the Texas Department of Transportation to install memorial markers on a section of Loop 820 between Interstate 35W and Marine Creek Parkway in honor of Nava.
Teresa Nava-Salazar, the widow of Nava, thanked the Fort Worth Police Officers Association for covering the costs of the signs, Council member Charlie Lauersdorf for his persistence in making sure the markers were completed, and the Fort Worth police family for showing their support over the years.
“Hank deserves to be remembered, he is our legacy, as well as Fort Worth’s legacy,” Nava-Salazar said. “This Memorial Highway sign is another permanent reminder of him. Would he like all this attention, probably not, but as long as I’m alive, his name will not be forgotten.”
Lauersdorf met the Nava family three years ago at a Fort Worth Police Foundation dinner when the family wanted to rename a street after Nava. Lauersdorf began the process, and it was finalized last year with the council vote. For Lauersdorf, the signs are about remembering Nava, but also to tell all residents and visitors of Fort Worth the city cares about their fallen first responders.
“It honors everything that your family stood for, and quite frankly, it tells the thousands and millions of drivers that are going to be driving through Fort Worth that this is a city that cares about its officers and its fallen officers and the sacrifices that we ask them to make, and that some do make,” Lauersdorf said.
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.
Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia says the department will never forget Nava, and neither will the City of Fort Worth. Garcia continued saying Nava’s legacy lives on through the officers he inspired, the lives he touched, and the example that he set.
“It’s about ensuring that the name of a fallen Fort Worth police officer who dedicated his life to serving others will continue to be seen, remembered, and respected for generations to come,” Garcia said.
