St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre hosted May 13, 2021 the annual memorial program honoring the fallen finest of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. Joining officers for the ceremony at the Lloyd B. Johnson Law Enforcement Training Center in LaPlace were families of the deceased officers.
As part of National Police Week, the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office presented the annual event to pay tribute to officers killed in the line of duty and honor their memory. Local officers the SJSO pledges to never forget are: Constable Ignace Rousselle, Deputy Harry Troxlair Sr., Det. Sherman Walker, Deputy Barton Granier, Officer Edmond Songy Jr. Captain Octavio Gonzalez, Deputy Brandon Nielsen and Deputy Jeremy Triche.
The SJSO’s fallen officers are the good men who opposed and actively resisted evil, Sheriff Tregre said. “In the words of Edmond Burke, ‘evil prevails when good men do nothing,’ ” he said. “So we come together for yet another year to respect, honor, remember those who have paid the ultimate price serving St. John Parish.”
Sheriff Tregre also thanked the families of the deceased officers who allowed their loved one to put his life on the line to keep others safe; and he expressed gratitude to his officers for their service, dedication, and sacrifice, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every day, we as citizens ask a great deal of the men and women in law enforcement,” he said. “Every day, they choose to pin on a badge and go to work, not knowing what the day will bring, and praying that they come home safely at the end of the shift. Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc all over the country, our deputies still came to work putting themselves at risk against an invisible killer to do the job that few want to do and even fewer are able to do.”
Training of officers was addressed during the ceremony.
“I am doing all I can to ensure that our deputies have all of the resources they need to do their jobs successfully,” Sheriff Tregre said. “This newly dedicated Lloyd B. Johnson Law Enforcement Training Center will serve as a significant resource to enhance officer training and wellness for years to come. This facility will provide classroom training, virtual reality training, correctional training, and weapons training to assist law enforcement from across the region to better protect their communities and helping them get home safely to their families.”
A memorial also is being planned in front of the training center. “We hope that it will be a place where family and friends, and supporters of law enforcement can spend some time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice these officers from St. John have made,” Sheriff Tregre said.