A year and a half after New Orleans officer Natasha Hunter was fatally injured in the line of duty, Hunter's sister, Jacquen Hunter, joined the ranks of the New Orleans Police Department, continuing the family's legacy of service with the agency.
Jacquen Hunter graduated NOPD's academy Friday (Dec. 15) as part of Recruit Class No. 180, according to the department. In a video posted to the NOPD's website, Jaquen Hunter told NOLA.com that she felt the support of her late sister throughout the process of becoming an officer.
In joining the NOPD, Jacquen Hunter becomes the fourth of the Hunter sisters to serve in the department, she said in the video. Two of Jacquan Hunter's sisters still work for the NOPD, she said.
Their sister, Natasha Hunter, 32, was an 11-year veteran of the NOPD when she was fatally wounded in June 2016 while investigating a traffic crash on Interstate 10. According to police, a drunken motorist slammed into the back of her marked police car. She died two days later, on June 7, 2017, leaving behind a 5-year-old daughter.