Hector Orozco stood between the pitching mound and home plate with his four-year-old daughter, Olivia, as the two prepared to throw out the very first pitch at Kerrie Orozco Memorial Ballfield, built and named for slain Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco.
Orozco was shot in May 2015, while she and other officers were trying to apprehend a fugitive gang member.
According to ABC News, Kerrie Orozco spent a great deal of her off hours helping keep kids away from gang activity by coaching youth sports, with a special affinity for coaching baseball on the very field that now bears her name.
Then, the field was loose dirt and a mix of grass and weeds.
With the renovation revealed on Wednesday, players and fans saw a surface of Astroturf, with new batting cages, a concession building, and a scoreboard bearing Kerrie's name.
Orozco had volunteered with the Special Olympics and coached baseball for the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club.
Officer Kerrie Orozco's husband Hector and her daughter Olivia throw the first pitch at the field dedicated to Kerrie. Thank you for being such an important part of our #OPD family. The field is officially open! via @OPDKelsey pic.twitter.com/KWli1Ldp90
— Omaha Police Dept (@OmahaPolice) June 26, 2019
