The city of Lancaster revealed the new sign at the park, located at 43063 10th Street West.
On Oct. 25, 2016, Lancaster City Council approved the renaming of the park to honor the memory and legacy of Sgt. Steve Owen, who many knew as “Bullfrog”.
Owen, 53, was fatally shot Oct. 5, 2016, while responding to a young mother’s 911 call reporting a burglary at her apartment building in the 3200 block of West Avenue J-7.
Owen is known for his many contributions to the Lancaster community and the Antelope Valley. He dedicated his time to local sports programs, his church, colleagues, special events, and his family.
Owen’s family members were humbled and honored at the memorial renaming event.
“Steve was loved by many in the community, everyone he worked with and even people he arrested,” said Owen’s wife, also known as Mrs. Bullfrog.
“We will be able to enjoy it with our family and the community he loved. I will tell my grandchildren this is Grandpa’s Park,” she added.
“The members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department would like to thank the city of Lancaster for honoring and dedicating a place where children and families can get together and create memories, as Sergeant Owen did with his family,” sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
[Information via news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.]
Previous related stories:
5 arrested in connection to murder of Sgt. Owen
Parolee pleads not guilty to fatally shooting sergeant
Thousands bid farewell to Sgt. Steve Owen
Parolee charged with murdering Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sergeant
Suspect executed sergeant after wounding him, sheriff says
Sheriff’s sergeant slain in Lancaster
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Concerned citizen says
As tragic as this event was, I can understand honoring him. However I feel that American Hero’s Park would have been a better location to memorialize him. What will we do in the future if any more member of law enforcement are killed in the line of duty? Having a Memorial Area or plaque at American Hero’s Park would be an appropriate honor. And in the unfortunate event of the loss of other law enforcement officers in the community there would be a place they could be honored as well. This park has been hard to rename in the past and I believe it will still have that problem. It will still be called Lancaster City Park.
Alby says
Why couldn’t they name a court or a sheriff’s department or a dmv or an apartment complex after his name? Why does it gotta be a darn public park that I like going to? Let’s spook the kids by explaining how it got renamed. It’s still called the lancaster city park in my book and if it were not for a violent situation it would still be called that.
Laughing says
Spook the kids?
Kid: Why is it named Sgt. Steve Owens park?
Parent: Because he was an sheriff officer that died in the line of service.
No spookiness and no messy using the word respected because many people seem to hate officers, or at least this one. No need to explain the whole thing out. Besides most kids say something like, “Can we go to the rocket ship park?” or “I wanna go to the park with the big rocks!”
ANON says
This is such an amazing thing to do to keep Steves memory alive. Thanks to all of the
AV LASD FOR a GREAT JOB THEY DO. THANK YOU.
Walmart1660 says
Linda listen to me Stop crying and get a lawyer smh
Linda says
It’s amazing how much the guy in the photo looks like my husband top guy in middle. He refuses to give me an address to find him but has cops breaking in my home to harass me. Because he’s sexing a female cop. Isn’t that a lawsuit for me?
A Boy Named Sue says
I know a mayor of a city with a poor credit rating, panhandlers all over his downtown despite his attempts to bring in Asians and “the gays”, and who is searching for a 10 story high Buddha who would gladly take your case. He’s sue his own mother if it meant a payday.
Alby says
Why don’t they just make a 10 story image of the fallen officer near the scene of the crime and leave the lancaster city park be.