Senator Scott Wilk, R- Antelope Valley, asked the California State Senate to adjourn in the memory of Lancaster’s Sergeant Steve Owen during Monday’s floor session.

Earlier in the day Senator Wilk participated in the Peace Officers Memorial Day, a two-day memorial service honoring California’s fallen heroes. Sergeant Owen’s name was added to the monument in a formal ceremony.

“This tribute doesn’t begin to compensate him or his family for their tragic loss, but it brings some comfort to those that benefited from his kindness, mentorship and public service,” said Wilk during his remarks.

Senator Wilk’s full remarks on the Senate Floor can be found here.

On October 5, 2016, Sgt. Steve Owen was murdered by a burglary suspect.

Owen, a 29-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, was working with the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station on Wednesday, when he responded to a reported residential burglary on Avenue J in Lancaster.

According to the Blue Lives Matter page:

“While responding to the burglary on the 3200 block of West Avenue J-7, Owen had his partner remain in the front of the location while he went around to check the rear. As Owens approached the rear of the building, an armed suspect shot him in the face.

“The suspect then ran passed Owen’s collapsed body to the front of the building where he then jumped into Owen’s cruiser. Fortunately, another deputy was close by. The deputy opened fire when the suspect put the car in reverse to attempt to run him over. The suspect collided with another cruiser, injuring the deputy inside.

“He then bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot. He ran into a nearby home which was occupied by two teens. One of the teens quickly contacted police to notify them of the suspect’s location. SWAT responded and forced their way into the home but the suspect was able to flee out the back. He jumped a fence and ran into another back yard where he was quickly surrounded by authorities. He was taken into custody. At some point during the event, most likely during the initial collision, he was struck in the torso by a round fired by deputies.”

Owen, a former Acton resident, received the Sheriff’s Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for his role in safely taking an armed suspect into custody using nonlethal force.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell gave the following statement regarding Owen’s death:

“The tragedy of a deputy sheriff such as Sergeant Steve Owen making the ultimate sacrifice has a massive impact on the whole law enforcement family. We all mourn together and our hearts go out especially to Steve’s immediate family Tania, a detective at Arson/Explosives Detail, his two adult sons, Brandon and Chad, a step-daughter Shannon and his mother, Millie.”

Described by his colleagues as a ‘Cop’s Cop,’ Sgt. Owen volunteered countless hours helping the youth of the region.

He was not only well respected by his colleagues, but a pillar of the community. Senator Wilk is also co-authoring ACR 31 with Assemblyman Tom Lackey; the resolution names a portion of Highway 14 after Sergeant Owen.
Every May, in the week preceding National Police Week, the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation (CPOMF) sponsors the two-day memorial service where thousands of officers, family members, and citizens join at the Capitol’s Peace Officer Memorial Monument to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price protecting our communities. The names of officers lost the previous year are added to the monument in a formal ceremony.

‘Sergeant Owen is survived by his wife Tania and their three children. The family was in the Senate chamber to receive the resolution and at the Capitol for the memorial events.

Senator Wilk represents the 21 st Senate District which includes the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Victor Valleys. You can learn more about Scott by visiting his website.