Criminal law, Society

In Memoriam: Sergeant Steve Owen, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.

Steve Owen
Steve Owen

Another Law Enforcement Officer suffered a senseless death at the hands of a career criminal. This time, as is usually the case, a caring, officer who established himself within his community and by simply doing his job, died far too early.

Sergeant Steve Owen, who worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff for twenty-nine years, was ambushed and assassinated after responding to a burglary complaint.

His fellow community members shared much grief over the loss of a well liked deputy who served many and fostered remarkable attention to those in need–above expectations and for the benefit of many.

 

Steve Owen was survived by his wife, two adult sons, a stepdaughter and his mother.

The tragic events unfolded after a 911 caller reported a possible residential burglary within an apartment complex. As Owen covered the rear of the building, the suspect, Trenton Trevon Lovell, reportedly attacked and shot Sergeant Owen in the face, mortally wounding him. Another officer heard the gunfire and ran from the front of the building, finding a wounded Owen.

The shooter then ran to the parking lot, entered Owen’s patrol car, and attempted to flee. Owen’s partner returned to the front and opened fire on the suspect who in-turn rammed another car injuring the deputy.

The suspect exited the patrol car and ran to a home where he held two teenagers. One of the teens summoned police via text messaging. A SWAT team later forced entry to the residence but before securing the murderer he ran, jumping a fence and eluding officers.

trenton-trevon-lovell
Trenton Lovell

Over one hundred law enforcement officers participated in a manhunt to locate Lovell. Their luck turned when resident of Lancaster saw Lovell enter her back yard. Already aware of the earlier shooting, she saw the suspect run toward the open back door but she quickly locked the back door before he could enter. Police within seconds closed in and arrested Lovell.

Having endured several gunshots to the upper torso, Lovell was admitted to hospital where he eventually recovered.

Sergeant Owen was earlier rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital. His wife, who serves with the LASO in the department’s Arson & Explosives Unit, had along with four other family members arrived just before Owen died. He was fifty-three.

Sergeant Ownes received several accolades for heroism, including the department’s Medal of Valor for rescuing a hostage in a car held by a kidnapper wearing body armor.

The suspect held the hostage at gunpoint and a clear shot was impossible due to the proximity of the hostage. Sergeant Owen directed another officer to Tase the hostage taker through an open window, providing a necessary distraction to allow the hostage to flee. A second Taser firing penetrated the vest and incapacitated the suspect.

The community praised Owen for his service.

Journalist Eric Leonard spoke during a radio segment of a case that endeared Sergeant Owen to the community years ago when a prostitute had been beaten, maimed, and left for dead in the desert. When Own arrived, she was able to tell him her thirteen year old daughter had been taken by a pimp, the same person who assaulted her. Owen said that as a parent, he refused to go home until the child was located. Later, he found the girl abandoned in a shed in the desert, without food or water and left to die.

Senseless deaths are unfortunately to be expected in this line of work, this time as unfortunately many times, one of Los Angeles County’s deputies became a victim.

By Darren Smith

Sources:

Los Angeles Times

The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.

31 thoughts on “In Memoriam: Sergeant Steve Owen, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office”

  1. Thanks for this…truly tragic…this is as Two Palm Springs Officers also lost their lives in the line of duty….May the soul of all the fallen brave souls who are on the frontlines RIP.

  2. Darren,

    I am sorry for the loss of Mr. Owen. This must be so painful for his family and I’m sorry he was killed.

  3. Chipper is seeking attention since his mommy locked the basement door to the main house and makes him enter and leave his cellar abode via the cellar hatch.

  4. PS: my deepest condolences to the surviving family, friends, and co-workers of the once lovely and generous Sergeant Steve Owen, LASO. May God have mercy on his soul, and may he RIP.

  5. There’s a SERIOUSLY sick commenter here with an alias 28 characters long who certainly deserves to be on some official watch list. The fact that dangerous, mentally ill types like this often self-identify themselves in public is evidence of the wisdom of the First Amendment (and the Second, too) as well those who practice its principles in posting on this blog. Hopefully, this twisted twit will be tracked and ultimately institutionalized before he/she/it does real damage.

    1. For exactly what offense would or should this poster be “institutionalized?”

      I respectfully suggest you quickly scan each poster’s name, and upon identifying this poster (easily done), keep scrolling down, which is my practice.

      1. Some form of insane, criminal intent. Not my area. I’d leave that up to the “experts”. But I suspect a lot of the shootings, bombings, and other violence that make the headlines these days could have been prevented if those people in positions to deal with them had been alerted to and paid attention to the signs displayed by that type of wacko. Not that any of my comments on this or any other blog would ever serve that purpose. I just find myself more than a little annoyed when Darren or JT take the time and serious effort to post such a great article as this, only to have some idiot be so critical of it in such an irrational and unproductive way.

        Your suggestion makes sense. I may use it often in the future.

  7. You keep killing people (the badge), they will eventually shoot back. And sometimes they’ll get one too.

  9. Certainly this a tragedy. Knowing this guy could have retired a decade earlier, but chose to stay on adds to the strength of his character and what appears to be a strong sense of community.

    I don’;t mean to lessen such an act of ultimate sacrifice by departing from what this officer did, but I wonder if the controversy surrounding 9mm standard-issue ammunition shouldn’t be revisited? Would Lovell have absorbed multiple 10mm rounds and then survived? Isn’t the intent to kill rather than having to Taser the perpetrator after shooting him several times?

    And in terms of retribution, no, I can’t say I’m happy he survived. You should an officer in the face after trying to run him over, and generally you won’t find a fan here.

  10. D smith didn’t make clear who the career criminal was…. the “sergeant” hahahaha nice title tough guy…

    2. You would think d smith would raise that issues on a blog claiming to focus on civil liberties. Not so much…..

  12. “and yet he was targeted for no other reason than wearing a badge.”

    I would agree that he was targeted because he was wearing a badge, but has it been concluded to be the only reason?

    1. Good Question that D Smith won’t elaborate upon, the truth is of no concern – he only attempts to protect the “finest” hahahahahahahahahaha nice value system Smith.

      This blog is full of rank racism (JT and D Smith get it started daily)

      A cop kills a civilian and gets nothing, but the individual alleged to have killed the “sergeant” (hahahahahahaha) will likely face life in prison.

      D smith is sad racist, as is JT.

    2. I have read reports that said the shooter told arresting officers that he wanted to kill cops. This was supposedly a planned execution. He also made statements that he searched for the cop’s weapon, but was unable to find it, with the intent to shoot as many cops as possible.

      These reports need to be verified, however. You know how misinformation can get legs.

      We know he lay in wait for the officer, shot him in the face, and then stood over him and kept shooting him. He then used a police car to hit another officer. The officers seem to have been his targets that day.

      What still needs to be verified is if he did it merely to escape (but then why stand over the cop once he’s down and keep shooting?), or was he out to kill cops.

      It’ll all come out at trial. Young man. Looks healthy. Destroyed one family’s life, and will now waste his own behind bars or face the death penalty. What a waste.

  13. DMD, Really, a complete misdirection?
    PO, Really, same to you, just the other side of the fence.
    Ralph, also had to grab an oar in the boat that just goes around in circles.

    Darren, thanks for the acknowledgement of Sheriff Owens life of service. This guy will never get loose again and I would bet that Sheriff Owen would trade his life for that end result, knowing that a hero dies but once.

    1. You may be right, Neighbor Dave…I acknowledge I did not read the whole post… I feel for Darren’s posts as does ChipKellyShouldGoogleLeibniz…rank propaganda. Darren would come out gun blazing for authority but not for the non authoritative victims.
      And frankly, I have no more tears left to cry over law enforcement murder when law enforcement is one of the main problems we face as a nation. Unfair perhaps, sincere nonetheless.
      Sounds very much like officer Owen was of the exception, so as I said, may he rest in peace and be rewarded int he afterlife and in the family he left behind for his care and efforts for good.

  14. That was a great article. Such a tragic loss. It is unfortunate that there is a rising sentiment that the cops are all out to get you, resulting in these assaults on law enforcement.

    I read in the news that the prostitute’s daughter was only 13 months old, poor thing. Sgt Owen sounds like he was exemplary in community policing, and yet he was targeted for no other reason than wearing a badge.

    God bless all the good and courageous law enforcement officers who put themselves in harms way to keep us safe.

  15. I applaud the reporting of this story. The mainstream media presstitutes, of course, will refuse to cover it.

    And now for a short quiz to test your understanding of mainstream media presstitutes.

    Which of the following stories will receive massive mainstream media presstitute coverage, while the others will be largely ignored or, at best, will receive a brief mention in connection with promoting the leftist gun control agenda and then will be ignored?

    a. a Black man shoots a Black child.
    b. a Black man shoots a White woman.
    c. a White man shoots a White man.
    d. a White man shoots a White child.
    e. a White police officer shoots a Black man.
    f. a White police officer shoots a White man.
    g. a Black police officer shoots a Black man.
    h. a Black police officer shoots a Black child.

    There is only one correct answer. And if you don’t know it immediately, then you understanding nothing about the mainstream media presstitutes.

  16. I know you are writing in a hurry but a 13 year old is not a toddler. Still, R.I.P. Officer Owen. You gave us your all. Thank you.

    1. D Smith LOVES propaganda. And clearly emotions > truth as you aptly pointed out. A 13 year old is not a toddler, but officers still shoot them down in our country. R.I.P. to them.

    1. Compare the statistics from this angle and one realizes the cowardice of Darren Smith, Jonathan Turley, and this awful political blog.

      1. Well Chipper, if this isn’t to your liking, “Don’t let the door hit ya’ where the Good Lord split ya’.”

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