North Clairemont Community Park will be renamed for San Diego police Officer Austin Machitar, who died last year in the line of duty, it was announced Thursday.
The proposal from Mayor Todd Gloria's office to rename the park Officer Austin Machitar Memorial Park was unanimously approved by the city's Parks and Recreation Board.
Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7.
WATCH HERERelevant content:
According to Gloria's office, the park was selected "because of its proximity to where Officer Machitar served and the deep ties he had to the Clairemont neighborhood."
Get top local San Diego stories delivered to you every morning with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Machitar, 30, had spent more than five years in the department. He died last August after a speeding car crashed into his cruiser.
City officials say funds donated by the San Diego Police Officers Association is donating funds will support new signs and other updates to the park, which are expected to be completed this summer.
Gloria said in a statement, "I promised Officer Machitar's family that I would never let our city forget the sacrifice he made in service to our community. Renaming this park in the neighborhood he served is a meaningful way for us to honor his memory and ensure future generations know the legacy he left."
