With hugs, tears and broken hearts, officers from the La Mesa Police Department gathered outside the Pink Rose Café on La Mesa Boulevard to honor the memory of fallen officer Lauren Craven.

“Lauren is light … she shined bright in our department,” La Mesa police chief Ray Sweeney said.

The 25-year-old officer was killed when the driver of a Toyota Camry suspected of being under the influence crashed into her while she was rendering aid after a crash on Interstate 8 near Fairmont Avenue late Monday.

“Just from the day I pinned the badge on her, the smile that was on her face even in the interviews," Sweeney said. "She’s an amazing person. She’s an amazing police officer, so dedicated and loving to this community. The compassion and the empathy that she had that she had is what we’re all a

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