Law enforcement

Neighbors Mourn Dallas Police Officer Killed in Crash

“It’s a big loss. It’s a tragedy"

One day after a deadly crash, Lavon residents remembered their neighbor -- the Dallas police officer who was killed Saturday.

"It's a big loss. It's a tragedy and it's unexpected. We never thought something would happen like this so early in his life," said Nikolas Molina, who lived near Jamie Givens for about three to four years.

Molina heard the news Saturday morning.

"At first it didn't really feel real, because we were really close to him, and he was like another dad to me," he said.

Givens was a 32-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, and served the last dozen in the motorcycle unit.

Fellow officers said Givens loved motorcycles, law enforcement and most importantly, his two sons.

Neighbors on the street said Givens was an officer dedicated to his job.

"Very committed to his job… and he really enjoyed his job," said Leslie Balentine, who lived next door to Givens.

Balentine said when Givens wasn't working he could be found gardening or on road trips with his girlfriend.

Neighbors placed flags outside Givens' home to honor him.

They've also made sure to stop by his home to check on family from out of town.

"We've just been kind of watching out… letting them know if they need anything," Balentine said.

The Assist the Officer Foundation is now collecting donations for the two sons Givens left behind.

The public visitation for Givens is Wednesday from 6-8 p.m., and his funeral, which will be open to the public, is Thursday at 11 a.m., both at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

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