Corona honored with memorial

The City of Davis unveiled a memorial honoring fallen police officers Jan.10, one year after the death of Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona. Community members gathered around the new memorial located in front of the Davis Police Station to remember Corona, whose death shocked the Yolo County community last year. Corona was gunned down while responding to a vehicle collision in Downtown Davis. She was 22 years old at the time, having joined the Davis police force just five months before the shooting. Speakers included Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel and Merced Corona—Natalie Corona’s father. Corona’s family was joined in the audience by the family of Sacramento Police Officer Tara O’Sullivan, who was also killed in the line of duty last year. Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Senator Bill Dodd, who represent Davis and Winters in the California Assembly and Senate, as well as Congressman John Garamendi were among the attendees. Aguiar-Curry, who served as mayor of Winters before she was elected to the Assembly, said tragedies like Corona’s death can never be planned for. “You can never plan on something like this,” Aguiar-Curry said. “To be here supporting a community and family is probably one of the most rewarding things you do [as an elected official].” Attendees included peace officers and firefighters from around the region, including Winters. Chief John Miller, Sgt. Jose Hermosillo and Det. David Gonzalez of the Winters Police Department came to show their respect.  “Needless to say, the ceremony was very emotional for many reasons. Although I did not know Natalie personally, from everything I have heard about her, including direct interaction with her parents as well as her co-workers at Davis PD, she epitomized the best of us in so many ways,” Miller said in an email to the Express. The Winters Police Department responded to provide aid the night of the shooting, and continued to patrol the City of Davis for days while the DPD reeled from the loss. According to Miller, his department “sent all available resources and responded to the scene the night of the incident, and called in additional resources so that [WPD] could assist that night and the days following by covering the patrol services for the City of Davis.” Miller said Corona’s murder served as a reminder of what police officers put on the line every day. “She is a reminder that even in ‘safe’ communities, such as Davis and even Winters, and even at the most ‘routine’ calls for service, such as a traffic collision, there is the possibility of us not coming home got our families.”]]>