The memory of Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division officer Nicholas Lee has found permanent residency outside of the police station that he served for more than a decade.

LAPD officers line the sidwalk in front of Hollywood Division on April 25, when officer Nicholas Lee’s star was unveiled. (photo by Aaron Blevins)

Last Friday, the LAPD unveiled a memorial star outside of the station on Wilcox Avenue on behalf of Lee, who died on March 7 after his squad car collided with a large truck in Beverly Hills.

Hollywood Division Capt. Peter Zarcone welcomed the audience, which included Lee’s family, some of his academy classmates, firefighters and his “brothers and sisters in blue.”

“Thank you all for being here. It really helps us to remember and honor Nick appropriately,” he said.

Zarcone expressed gratitude toward a number of community members who had helped make the event possible. He thanked Top End Constructors for creating the star free of charge.

However, the captain was especially honored to host Lee’s family — his wife, Cathy; his daughters, Jalen and Kendall; and his parents. Many members of his extended family attended the event as well.

“We are here to honor Nick, but we are also here to honor your sacrifice,” Zarcone said. “Thank you very much.”

He said the memorial stars are identical to those on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“As iconic as that Walk of Fame is, this right here has a different purpose,” Zarcone said, quoting John 15:13, which states, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“That is the significance of our memorial here.”

Lee became the eighth Hollywood Division officer to be honored on the memorial walk. The others are Clyde Pritchett (1936), Clay Hunt (1955), Ian Campbell (1963), Robert Cote (1969), Russell Kuster (1990), Joe Rios (1993) and Charles Heim (1994).

“We’ll always remember these heroes, and today, we especially honor and remember Nicholas Choung Lee,” Zarcone said.

LAPD deputy chief Terry Hara said the department has had a rough couple of months, given that two officers have been killed while on-duty. LAPD Valley Traffic Division officer Christopher Cortijo died on April 9 in a traffic accident.

However, the department was pleased to honor Lee, who had committed his life to public service and had interacted with thousands of people along the way, Hara said.

“It’s always difficult when we lose one of our own, but it is also a time of celebration of his life and what he has given to the city of Los Angels,” he said. “In just one small way, with the support of the community, we’re going to be able to remember officer Lee. It is very significant that we never forget those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in public service and community service.”

Since Lee was a father, brother and son, many people have been affected by the loss, and the LAPD has been suffering as an organization and a family, Hara said.

“Let us not forget, LAPD is a family and we support one another after one of our own passes — that we will always be there for the Lee family and support everyone who has been involved and affected by this tragedy,” Hara added.

After the ceremony, officers and the Lee family joined in the station’s community room for lunch. Lee’s sister, Jennifer, said the family appreciated the LAPD unveiling his star in front of the police station.

“I think that it will help us heal because there’s going to be a permanent reminder of him and who he was,” she said.

Lee was born on Aug. 16, 1973, in Seoul, Korea, and moved to the U.S. at six years old, along with his parents. He was raised in Koreatown and graduated from University High School in 1991. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton, in 1996.

Lee and his future wife, Cathy, welcomed their first child in 2000. They married in 2001, and had another daughter in 2007. According to an LAPD biography of Lee, he was a “loving father, husband and a great provider.”

He joined the department in 1998, and completed his academy training in 1999. Lee worked in Van Nuys before transferring to Hollywood Division, where he worked patrol. He transferred to Wilshire Division in 2005, but returned to Hollywood Division in 2008.

Lee had received numerous awards and commendations during his 16-year career. He had been honored for helping a stranded motorist by pushing a woman’s car two blocks to a gas station, and for his dedication and compassion in searching for a missing child. Lee was also praised for ending a crime spree by taking two narcotics suspects off the streets.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision is still under investigation and is months away from being complete. The agency is handling the investigation at the request of the Beverly Hills Police Department.

The incident occurred near Robert Lane and Loma Vista Drive, where a large truck hauling a dumpster and construction equipment collided with the squad car. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.

His partner, who has not been identified, and the truck driver suffered injuries, but the department did not provide any information on their status by deadline.

In March, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the department suspected that the truck’s brakes had failed while traveling down a steep road, but a CHP representative said the cause of the collision is still being investigated.