Monday night, the Fort Worth community gathered to honor Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr, killed in the line of duty in 2005.

Community gathers for candlelight remembrance  

At the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial on West 7th Street, dozens gathered to remember the man who served the department for 14 years.  

"He was larger than life," his widow Teresa Nava-Salazar said. "He loved serving his community. Being a police officer was a calling and it was definitely his calling." 

His daughter, KayLeigh Nava, describes him as a real-life superhero. 

"He had a Captain America figurine that he put on his dashboard of his patrol car, and that's a really sweet memory I have with him. And he was my Captain America," she said. 

Family reflects on Officer Nava's heroism, legacy  

KayLeigh Nava says she was only 9 years old when her father and two other Fort Worth officers went to a home to arrest a man wanted on a parole violation. 

A woman inside told them the suspect wasn't there, but as the officers stepped inside, she shouted a warning. As Officer Nava opened a bedroom door, the suspect emerged with a handgun, firing a shot that struck him just above his left eye.

The suspect fled, taking the woman hostage before surrendering. He was later convicted of capital murder in 2007 and died in prison.

"Growing up as a police officer's daughter, I just feel like I never thought twice about the danger that he was surrounded by," KayLeigh Nava said. 

She said one of her earliest memories is the day her father was rushed to the hospital. 

"Driving to the hospital with some of our family and friends, and seeing lights and cameras, but I didn't think anything of it," she said. "I didn't know what that meant, and that Mom was on the other side to tell me that we didn't think he was going to make it, and I think those are words that no one at any age is ever ready to hear." 

Over the last two decades, Officer Nava's loved ones have found multiple ways to honor him. Just weeks ago, the Fort Worth City Council approved new highway memorial markers along Loop 820. 

"After he passed, we held a run for a few years, then we transitioned, and now we do a blood drive in his honor around this time of year," KayLeigh Nava said.

"I've tried my hardest to keep his name out there so his legacy doesn't die," Teresa Nava-Salazar said. 

The candlelight remembrance was a reflection of the lasting impact he had.