This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Officer Mark Sawyers, who was gunned down in an ambush shooting by a man who then stole the officer's weapon and used it to commit suicide as police were closing in to make an arrest.
"Not having my father was very difficult for me growing up and it caused a lot of issues with my mental health, especially with depression and having to experience grief in a different way, than most people," Lily said. "I have fought so hard my entire life and luckily I was able to keep my grades up and still go to college."
Lily Sawyers’ father, Mark Sawyers, was ambushed in a parking lot on 15 Mile Road when she was 11 months old. Her graduation was on the 17th anniversary of her father’s death.