BATON ROUGE, La. – Across this city, shocked residents have gathered in churches and at community vigils to pray for the law enforcement community and the three officers who were slain in an ambush by a gunman.
Arrangements for 45-year-old Brad Garafola, an East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff&apos;s deputy and a father of four, have not been made public.
The officers lived in the area of Denham Springs, a quiet bedroom community across the Amite River from Baton Rouge, which has been in turmoil for two weeks. Tensions rose sharply after the death of Alton Sterling, 37, a black man killed by white Baton Rouge officers after a scuffle at a convenience store. The killing was captured on cellphone video.
As the nation debates race and policing, this community of about 10,000 is mourning three of its sons — all husbands and fathers described by friends as being committed to protecting and serving the public.
Garafola and Gerald were white. Jackson was black, as was the gunman. Three other officers were wounded. One of them, Deputy Nicholas Tullier, was in critical condition. The gunman was killed at the scene.
Gerald was a Marine from 1994 to 1998. He later joined the Army and served as a decorated soldier from 2002 to 2009, including three tours in Iraq. He will be buried at the Louisiana National Cemetery for veterans.
Ryan Cabral served with Gerald on a helicopter crew in Iraq.
"Like most other police officers, they go where they&apos;re needed," said Cabral, an Army veteran and police officer in Temple, Texas. "They know what the dangers are, but that&apos;s how they&apos;re made. They&apos;re made to serve."
Jackson&apos;s father-in-law, Lonnie Jordan, called him a "gentle giant" — tall and stout and formidable looking, but with a peaceful disposition. Jordan said his son-in-law had been working long hours since Sterling was killed.
Sgt. Gerald Parker, a close friend, described him as a "jack of all trades" who enjoyed helping people in his neighborhood, like mending their fences or mowing their lawns.
"All these officers are heroes. Some people would run. But these gentlemen leave their families knowing something can happen," Parker said.