NEW ORLEANS — Jacquen Hunter has always wanted to be an NOPD officer, and on Friday, that dream came true when she graduated from the academy.
It was a bittersweet moment for Jacquen Hunter, as her sister, fallen NOPD officer Natasha Hunter, wasn’t there to see her graduate.
Jacquen Hunter, one of 11 children in her family, still has two other sisters on the force.
Natasha Hunter was the third sister to be a part of NOPD. The 11-year NOPD veteran died in June 2016 after she was struck by a suspected drunk driver while responding to a multi-vehicle crash on I-10.
Jacquen Hunter spoke to her sister, Natasha, before Natasha’s shift that night. The last thing she told her was to “be safe.”
Her sister’s death made Jacquen question whether law enforcement was the path she should pursue, but after much thought, she stuck with it. Jacquen believes that her sister, Natasha, guided her through this process.
“This is my life, this is what I want to do with my life,” Jacquen Hunter said. “I want to be able to protect and serve the community from acts of violence, to help make New Orleans a safer place for our children … to make a difference in our community.”
