DAVIS, Calif. — 1:25 p.m.
Thousands of uniformed officers are leaving the memorial of a young California police officer who was killed on duty.
Natalie Corona was a Davis police officer who was shot and killed Jan. 10 while responding to a routine traffic call.
Her father, Merced Corona, eulogized his daughter's spirit and dedication to the profession, with wife Lupe by his side.
The retired Colusa County sheriff's deputy said he tried to get his daughter to work for the county, but she said that she had found "the perfect department in the perfect city."
Her casket will travel in a procession to Arbuckle about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Davis, where the Corona family lives. The slain officer is survived by her mother, her father and three younger sisters.
The law enforcement family comes together for Officer Corona's funeral
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A California police chief apologized to the parents of a slain rookie officer for failing to get her home safely, saying they had delivered the "perfect cop."
Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a medal of distinction at a packed memorial service for Natalie Corona.
Corona was shot and killed last week when she responded to a three-car crash.
Police are still investigating the motive for the attack. The gunman has been identified as a 48-year-old convict who was banned from owning firearms and took his own life after shooting Corona.
Pytel says that although the person who "committed this atrocity" is known, why he did it may never be.
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Davis police officer Natalie Corona-
End of Watch: January 10, 2019
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Natalie Corona's sisters speak about her at the funeral.
They say that she wanted everything to be perfect, and they remarked, "Boy, in our eyes, was she perfect."
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A supportive sign for fallen Davis officer Natalie Corona reads:
"She made the world a better place"
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Officer Corona's badge number, 224, has been retired.
Chief Pytel announced that she will posthumously receive a Purple Heart, Medal of Distinction, and the Cantrell Citation, a distinction named after the only other Davis officer to die in the line of duty.
11:55 a.m.
Musician Billy Ray Cyrus sang a song he wrote for soldiers of the Vietnam War at a service for a 22-year-old rookie officer killed in the line of duty.
He said that Davis Officer Natalie Corona's smile touched his heart. He called her a "light in this world that won't be forgotten."
Bagpipes played as pallbearers solemnly carried her flag-draped casket to a packed memorial at the University of California, Davis.
All 8,000 seats are filled with officers, family, friends and members of the community to bid farewell to Corona, who had wanted to be an officer just like her father.
Corona was shot and killed last week when she responded to a three-car crash.
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Davis Chief of Police Darren Pytel speaks about fallen officer Natalie Corona.
"It wasn't long after Natalie started that we realized we hired someone special," he added
She stood out because of how special she was. Her background investigation revealed that she had a hard time saying no.
When she was a volunteer, police would see her all the time. She continued to help the department, even when she didn't have to.
Chief Pytel says the loss of Officer Corona has been devastating. They lost someone who was driven to make others feel better in their community; she was the cop you wanted to show up when you called for help.
"She was very loyal to Davis. We lost an officer that truly embodied our policing philosophy," said Chief Pytel.
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Calling Officer Corona a rookie doesn't begin to reflect what she was able to accomplished as an officer, according to Sgt. Eric Labbe.
Her sergeant shares his experience with the fallen officer, who he says gave everyone a new found appreciation for the profession.
She truly embodied what it means to be a hero, he added.
"Her loss is felt worldwide because of the person she was," said Sgt. Labbe.
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ABC10's Giacomo Luca has captured a packed auditorium for the fallen Davis officer. The support is coming from all over the country.
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It’s not just law enforcement. All members of the public safety family are in attendance for the Corona funeral.
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Many officers working so that Davis police officers and others can mourn for Officer Corona.
They'll take the watch from here:
UC Davis Police Department
Yolo County Sheriff's Department
West Sacramento Police Department
Winters Police Department
Woodland Police Department
10:40 a.m.
A program at the memorial service for a California police officer described her as a compassionate, fun-loving 22-year-old whose passion for police work started when she was young.
The program for Friday's service says Natalie Corona's love for police work was more than just a career. The Davis police officer was shot and killed Jan. 10 while responding to a traffic call.
The program says Corona was a thrill seeker who went skydiving, loved roller coasters, liked shooting guns and going out with friends and family.
Uniformed officers are arriving for the 11 a.m. service at the University of California, Davis, and taking their seats holding their hats.
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As Officer Corona's casket arrives for her funeral, it was guarded by members of the Solano County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard, along with law enforcement from around the state.
Update: 10:25 a.m.
Corona was a graduate of Sacramento police academy. Chief Hahn is saluting Officer Corona's casket as it arrives for the funeral.
Update: 10:10 a.m.
Law enforcement and community members, estimated in the thousands, are expected to arrive for the funeral of 22-year old Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona.
Original Story:
Police officers from across the country are expected at Friday's memorial service for a 22-year-old rookie who had long dreamed of being an officer and was slain just weeks into the job in Davis.
The service for Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona, who was shot and killed last week, will be held at the University of California, Davis. The university said it expects up to 6,000 officers, in addition to family members, friends and members of the public.
Corona's slaying has shocked Davis, which prides itself as a safe, family-friendly community anchored by one of the state's top universities. The last time a police officer died in the line of duty in Davis was in 1959.
Family, colleagues and others who knew Corona have recalled her vibrant smile, compassion, dedication and lifelong dream of being in law enforcement like her father Jose Merced Corona, who spent 26 years as a Colusa County Sheriff's deputy.
"I would come home from lunch and dinner and she'd be waiting for me at the door and she would say 'Dad, dad, can I go on a ride-a-long today?' and I told her, 'No, Nan, not today. I'm too busy,'" Merced Corona told ABC10.
A rising star in the department, Corona graduated from the Sacramento Police Academy in July and had completed her field training in December. She was assigned to patrol on her own just weeks ago.
"Natalie was full of life and full of energy. She was an absolute pleasure to be around. She loved being around everyone in the department," said Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel.
On the evening of Jan. 10, there was no apparent danger when Corona responded solo to the scene of a three-car crash in downtown Davis, near the university campus. But as Corona talked to the drivers involved in the crash, gunfire sounded.
RELATED: Need to know: Funeral arrangements, helping Davis Police after death of Officer Natalie Corona
Police say gunman Kevin Douglas Limbaugh, 48, was not involved in the crash but rode up on a bicycle and, without warning, opened fire on Corona. He hit her in the neck and fired more shots as she lay on the ground, reloading at least twice as he fired at passing vehicles, narrowly avoiding wounding others before he casually walked home.
Police are still investigating the motive and say Limbaugh did not appear to know Corona or to have specifically targeted her. It is also not yet clear if Limbaugh had planned the attack or acted spontaneously, Davis Police spokesman Lt. Paul Doroshov said.
PHOTOS: Remembering Officer Natalie Corona
Limbaugh dropped a backpack at the scene that led officers to identify him and trace him to his house, where he had a brief standoff with police, went back inside and killed himself, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said.
Police found two unregistered semi-automatic handguns at the house and a handwritten note on the bed that claimed police had been bombarding him for years with ultrasonic waves and he "can't live this way anymore."
Limbaugh was charged and convicted in a battery case last fall after assaulting a colleague at a casino where he worked. He was ordered then to surrender a semi-automatic rifle he owned. It is not clear how he obtained the two handguns.
After the memorial service, a funeral procession is planned from Davis to the town of Arbuckle about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north, where the Corona family lives. The slain officer is survived by her mother, her father and three younger sisters.
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WATCH MORE:
Remembering Officer Corona
On January 14th, officer Natalie Corona was shot to death while on duty. One of her instructors at the Sacramento Police Academy talks about what made her stand out from other cadets.