Slain Dallas officer grew up in SoCal, worked for LA Sheriff's Dept.

One of the police officers killed in the Dallas shooting had deep Southern California ties.

Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens previously worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 11 years as a law enforcement technician, according to the union for Los Angeles sheriff's deputies.

"The tragedy of last night's unspeakable murders in Dallas hit particularly close to home for Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department employees," the union said on Facebook.

The Sheriff's Department said Ahrens worked at the stations in Lennox and Lancaster.

"His colleagues today at the LASD are describing him as the type of person who always had a smile on his face and greeted you with kind regard," the LASD said. "They said he was an incredible dispatcher who served the patrol deputies in the field well by always looking out for them and taking officer safety into account when dispatching calls for service. Captain Merrill Ladenheim said, 'Lorne was a big guy with an even bigger heart.'"

Ahrens transferred to Dallas in 2002 and worked his way up to senior corporal, according to the union. He is survived by a wife, a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.

Ahrens grew up in the Los Angeles area and has family in Simi Valley, according to a profile in The Washington Post. He was described as a 6-feet 5-inch 300-pound former semi-pro football player whose size helped him in his law enforcement role.