East Baton Rouge Deputy Brad Garafola died doing what he had done for years ― putting his life on the line to help others.
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Funeral services are being held Saturday for Garafola in Baton Rouge.
“It’s is a huge honor to be able to go to Baton Rouge and assist our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and pay respects to those officers who were killed”, said Sgt. Lauren Truscott, commander of the Honor Guard.
Matthew Ward, an employee with the Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office who knew slain deputy Brad Garafola, touches his photograph while visiting a makeshift memorial for the officers who were killed and w…
Sheriff Sid Gautreaux called him “courageous, compassionate, fearless and benevolent”.
The Governor said that very verse defined Deputy Garafola in both life and death.
He also left an impression on a former high school student, who remembers Garafola as a resource officer and source of guidance in his teenage years.
When Long got to the pair, Garafola did not retreat, but stayed close to the wounded officer and fired back.
Deputy Brad Garafola (gehr- uh-FOH-luh) and two city police officers were killed outside a convenience store less than a mile from police headquarters.
Funeral services are planned for city police officer Montrell Jackson, a 32-year-old slain by a gunman who authorities said targeted law enforcement.
“My deputy went down fighting”, Gautreaux said.
Garafola was taking cover behind a dumpster during the firefight when he saw a wounded Baton Rouge police officer make his way around the corner of a building, Gautreaux said.
Garafola leaves behind a wife and four children.
The services for Garafola were held the same day mourners gathered in Kansas City, Kan., for the funeral of Capt. Robert “Dave” Melton, who was gunned down Tuesday in his patrol auto while searching for a shooting suspect. The day after that, a black gunman in Dallas opened fire during a protest against the Minnesota and Baton Rouge shootings, and killed five police officers. Jackson’s funeral will take place on Monday.
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The next day a black man in Minnesota was fatally shot by police, and his girlfriend live-streamed the aftermath on Facebook.
