I’ve been out of it for a few weeks. I feel like I owe you all an explanation. As many of you may know, I’m still a full-time police officer in Northern California. On the Fourth of July, one of my old partners passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was actually my very first partner, almost 20 years ago. We have remained close friends ever since.
On June 10 my buddy Walt suffered a heart attack on duty, and was admitted into a cardiology ICU. We kept in contact over the phone and text messages during his admission. He was keeping me updated on his status almost daily. We even chatted on his 62nd bday about getting together after he was discharged. Early morning July 3, his wife called me and said that his health had taken a turn for the worse. I drove immediately to his bedside, and stayed with him for the next 14 hours, until the doctors told me no more visitors. At 18:04 that evening, he coded right in front of his wife and me. I gave my old partner a final goodbye, and I drove home accepting the inevitable. It was early the next morning that I learned my old friend had passed.
He is survived by his wife and several children. His wife requested that I attend his service as a pallbearer. I will be wearing his personal duty pistol to his service.
I normally don’t ask people to be part of anything with me, but his police union and PORAC have put together a small fundraiser for his family. We are very close to hitting the mark. I just wanted to share my recent loss with my close friends.
https://porac.org/fundraiser/officer-walter-broussard-memorial-fund/?fbclid=IwAR1JEF8P88apOHxOH16I1E00L1yelIspaNpErXzPWU-6ATR4DfRuSb8qxew
(an old picture from my motor days, meeting up for some afternoon shade and water. He couldn’t pass motor school, so they gave him a Can-am spyder to join the traffic team.)