One of the five police officers who were tragically killed by a sniper in Dallas last week during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest was a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s employee who worked at the Lennox station before joining the Dallas Police Dept. in 2012.
Lorne Ahrens was remembered by his Los Angeles colleagues as being jovial and dedicated to his job.
“He always had a smile on his face. He liked to work out a lot. He was a boxer and his was always sparring with some of the other guys at the station,” recalled sheriff’s Capt. Ken McWaid, who was a deputy training officer at the Lennox station when he worked with Ahrens from 1991 to 1997.
According to news reports, Ahrens, a senior corporal, died after undergoing surgery for his wounds after being shot by sniper Micah Johnson last week.
The sheriff’s department posted a tribute to Ahrens on its Facebook page.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. is saddened to learn that one of the fallen Dallas police officers was a former member of the ?LASD?. Serving the LASD and the residents of Los Angeles County for more than 10 years from 1991 to 2002, Lorne Ahrens left the department as a law enforcement technician on Jan. 23, 2002 and officially began his service with the Dallas Police Dept. just two days later.
“He is remembered by the LASD for serving at the Lennox and Lancaster Sheriff’s stations as a highly regarded and respected public servant. His colleagues today at the LASD are describing him as the type of person who always had a smile on his face and greeted you with kind regard. They said he was an incredible dispatcher who served the patrol deputies in the field well by always looking out for them and taking officer safety into account when dispatching calls for service.
Capt. Merrill Ladenheim said, “Lorne was a big guy with an even bigger heart. He will be sorely missed by the LASD family.”
According to the sheriff’s department website, a law enforcement technician “assists sworn personnel by independently performing technical law enforcement-related services and support functions in the Sheriff’s Dept.”
Those duties include dispatching patrol units, monitoring police and fire emergency communications, ensuring that department vehicles are inspected and properly maintained and assisting in criminal investigations by gathering, examining and storing records and other data collected for specific cases, among other duties.
“He will be sorely missed by the LASD family.”
McWaid said Ahrens, who at 6’5 and over 300 pounds was a former semi-professional football player, was a dispatcher when he worked with the deceased officer. “That’s an important job because deputies need to get the proper information when they’re on patrol so they can do their jobs the best that they can,” he said.
The captain heard from others that Ahrens had applied for a position as a police officer in Dallas several years ago. “It’s what he always wanted to do— become a police officer,” McWaid said.
Ahrens is survived by his wife, who is a Dallas police detective, a 10 year-old daughter and an 8 year-old son. His funeral was held in Plano Tx. on July 13.
Gary Walker contributed to this story.
