Family dedicates bench at San Jose's Cambrian ballpark to officer-involved shooting victim

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- San Jose police shot and killed Diana Showman in 2014. As of Saturday, her memory will be honored at a softball field where she used to play a sport she loved.

Diana Marie showman was diagnosed as bipolar. Saturday, her family celebrated her life, but they're determined to make sure her death raises awareness to help police better deal with mentally ill suspects.

Cambrian ballpark holds so many memories for the Showman family -- it's where their daughter Diana Marie Showman first played little league baseball. The die-hard A's fan also volunteered at the park.

"We are so lucky to have such good friends and family," said Showman's mother Vickie. "Diana would have loved every minute of this. She would have loved it."

"She just loved life, she loved baseball and being around people and kids," said Showman's best friend Jeannie Ceglar.

They unveiled a park bench honoring 19-year showman along with a plaque bearing her name and favorite phrase -- "Play ball."

"The bench is nice," Vicky told ABC7 News. "It's a nice thing to have, but what we really care about is having the crisis prevention training with police, to keeping families from going through this kind of pain."

The scene captures a painful memory minutes after police responded to a domestic dispute.d

Police say Showman refused to drop a cordless power drill.

A police officer thought it was an Uzi submachine gun and shot her.

"She made a bad mistake that day," said Showman's dad Jim. "But I don't believe she should have paid with her life for it."

The family filed a lawsuit which was settled part of the settlement includes the parents working with San Jose police with crisis intervention training.

It brings some comfort knowing they can prevent a similar tragedy.

"We can feel her presence, and be where she'd like to be," Jim told ABC7 News.