Heart of Law Enforcement Recognition
Service Before Self Award Honorees
2019-20 Lieutenant David Roddy
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Lt. David Roddy comes in contact with many people while working his detail at the Walmart in Harahan. Lt. Roddy met Sophia and they immediately bonded. According to Sophia’s grandmother, at least once a week for the past year, Lt. Roddy spent quality time with little Sophia. Once, when Sophia had a particularly difficult appointment with the dentist, Lt. Roddy bought her a Barbie doll she had been wanting, just to cheer her up. Sophia is not the only child who has benefitted from Lieutenant Roddy’s dedication to his community. Lt. Roddy also is an active volunteer and board member for Angels’ Place, a non-profit organization that provides ongoing support services to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Even after spending time with Sophia and serving on the board of Angels’ Place, Lt. Roddy still finds a way to spend quality time with the clients of Magnolia Community Services, a local non-profit organization that provides support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Many of the clients at Magnolia are avid Saints fans, so during football season, Lt. Roddy takes them to the Saints home games. You can see the joy in their faces in the picture up on the screen. During the off season, Lieutenant Roddy frequently takes the Magnolia clients bowling, another one of their favorite activities.
2019 Corporal Heather Martin
Lafayette Police Department
Cpl. Heather Martin responded to a call requesting a welfare check on an elderly man. When she arrived at the residence, Cpl. Martin found a 91 year-old war veteran in very poor living conditions. The elderly man advised Cpl. Martin that he lived alone and didn’t have any family members to assist or take care of him. As Cpl. Martin spent time with the man, she learned that he was not receiving any government assistance, because he was unable to complete the necessary paperwork and had no one to help him with it. As she spoke with the man further, Corporal Martin learned that his house had plumbing issues that he could not afford to have fixed. Also, he was not eating regular, nutritious meals. Cpl. Martin knew she could not let this veteran continue living like this! She immediately contacted the Office for Veterans Affairs to begin the process of obtaining benefits for him. Next, she contacted the local “Meals on Wheels” program and arranged for meals to be delivered to the man. Cpl. Martin then reached out to her social media followers and persuaded them to donate funds to assist the elderly man with his many financial needs – including having his plumbing fixed. On her next day off of work, Cpl. Martin went back to the elderly man’s residence to give it a thorough cleaning. She also restored a recliner for the man, so that he would have a comfortable place to sit while in his living room. Due to the kind efforts of Cpl. Martin, the elderly man is now able to live out his remaining days in a clean and comfortable home, with nutritious meals regularly delivered to him, and with all of the government resources he is entitled to as a veteran of our great nation.
2019 Major Todd Morris
East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office
Major Todd Morris was assigned as lead investigator on a missing person/homicide case in 2011. A young mother was missing and presumed dead. Her husband was the lead suspect. Prior to the investigation, the husband fled with his young daughter to Venezuela, a non-extradition country. The case remained opened. For seven years, Major Morris relentlessly sought justice for the mother, and the return of her young daughter to her family. During that time, Major Morris tracked the husband’s every movement, waiting for the day that he would leave Venezuela and enter a country where he could be extradited. For all these years, and despite the language barrier, Major Morris kept in constant contact with the mother’s sister, who lived In Belgium. Finally, in 2018, as a result of collaboration between Major Morris, the DEA and Mexican officials, the husband and his daughter were taken into custody in a Mexican city. The daughter was transferred to Major Morris’ temporary custody. Prior to the daughter’s arrival, Major Morris worked with the Department of Children and Family Services to locate a Spanish-speaking foster home for temporary placement of the child. Major Morris contacted the mother’s family in Belgium, and even instructed them on the necessary steps and paperwork to present in family court in order to obtain custody of the child. Upon their arrival in Baton Rouge, the family was met by Major Morris, who had already made arrangements for their accommodations. During their three week stay in Baton Rouge, Major Morris opened his home to the family, providing them with meals and a comfortable place for them to be reacquainted with the mother’s daughter. Major Morris accompanied the family to their meetings with the DCFS, the Sheriff’s Office, family court, and to the foster home where the child was staying. When he learned that mother’s sister had to take off of work without pay, he obtained funding for her hotel stay and for a plane ticket for the child to Belgium. Major Morris remains in contact with them.
2018 Deputy Turner Barran
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Dep. Turner Barran always kept small toys in his unit when he was a patrol officer for Saint John Parish Sherriff's Office to give to children who were scared or upset that he came into contact with during his shift. Dep. Barran joined the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in 2016 and continued the practice. Dep. Barran realized a simple stuffed animal could open communication between a police officer and a frightened child faster than just talking. Dep. Barran also realized he was not the only police officer coming into contact with children in situations and started dreaming of expanding his stuffed animals. Dep. Barran started requesting anyone getting rid of gently used stuffed animals donate them to him. Dep. Barran quickly had enough stuffed animals for every officer on his shift to have one or two in their unit. People would share how they gave away their stuffed animals to children and the excitement to comfort a child grew. Dep. Barran then had enough bears for the entire district, then the entire east bank of Jefferson parish, and then he had enough stuffed animals for every officer in the Patrol Division of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Dep. Barran started calling his stuffed animals Barran's Bears. Dep. Barran kept sharing stories and making request for animals on social media and the bears kept coming. Dep. Barran continued to think of the children and then expanded to other agencies inside of Jefferson Parish such as Kenner Police Department, Gretna Police Department, Westwego Police Department, East Jefferson Levee Board Police and the Causeway Police. Dep. Barran kept sharing and the bears continued to grow. Dep. Barran's outreach to other departments also grew. Dep. Barran met with officers in Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and Louisiana State Police and they are now also a part of the Barran's Bears Family. Dep. Barran received word from another deputy that children in the hospital would also have a little comfort in a bear with a visit from Spider Man, that deputy happens to be on first name basis with Spider Man. Dep. Barran thought the idea was fantastic and expanded Bears Bears to include children at Children's Hospital.
2017 Officer Shantell Howard
New Orleans Police Department
For two years, Officer Shantell Howard did Thanksgiving a little bit differently than many of us. Officer Howard purchased and prepared food and then spent Thanksgiving Day serving a full holiday meal to 60 residents of a transitional housing program in New Orleans. These residents are in the process of transitioning out of homelessness and others are low-income tenants of the program. For them, there may be no family to celebrate or no means to provide a Thanksgiving feast. Officer Howard recruited some of her fellow officers to join her in uniform to help bridge the growing gap between communities and law enforcement. Residents were very complimentary and appreciated seeing law enforcement engaged in the community in such a unique way. Officer Howard’s generosity, selflessness, and personal sacrifice also extended to the Baton Rouge area at Christmas when she prepared a meal for 30 women and children living in a shelter as well as 40 senior citizens. Officer Howard has demonstrated concern for others, compassion for those in need, a selfless willingness to help, and generosity of spirit. Beyond the Badge is honored to recognize Officer Shantell Howard as the very first recipient of the Heart of Law Enforcement Service Before Self Award.
Heart of Law Enforcement Awards
All Honorees
2020-2021
Deputy Kristen Fortenberry, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Daniel Mason Hagan, Dodson Police Department
Chief Deputy Marcus Mashaw, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office
Sergeant Travis Mier, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office
Sergeant Michelle Robinson, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Emily Nichols, Zachary Police Department
Detective Bradley Peck, Slidell Police Department
Sergeant Michael Richardson, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office
Lieutenant David Roddy, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Lieutenant Jerry Steele, Greenwood Police Department
2019
Deputy Salvatore Angilletta, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Jared Bennett, Pineville Police Department
Deputy Kasey Boudreaux, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Julia Courville, Lake Charles Police Department
Deputy Issac Genova, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Jennifer Gonzalez, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Sergeant Paul Harris, Louisiana State Police Troop G
Sergeant Alton Horn, City of Alexandria Police Department
Deputy Fred Kimble, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Corporal Chad Landreneau, Lafayette Police Department
Sergeant David LeBlanc, Lafayette Police Department
Corporal Heather Martin, Lafayette Police Department
Major Todd Morris, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Cody Richard, Lafayette Police Department
Corporal Ryan Shanahan, Lafayette Police Department
Investigator Chad Stokes, Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office
Lieutenant Donald Gail Waddle, Village of Dodson Police Department
2018
Deputy Turner Barran, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Lieutenant Michael Birdwell, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Captain Cortrell Davis, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Tyson Dennis, Gonzales Police Department
Deputy Stephanie Hicks, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Reserve Deputy Tate Lefort, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Sergeant Michael McCarley, Baton Rouge Police Department
Corporal Laterial Sawyer, Baton Rouge Police Department
Officer Gavin Shelton, Alexandria Police Department
Deputy First Class Chad Tyson, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office
Officer Chris Wayne, Zachary Police Department
2017
Officer Henry Briggs, Baton Rouge Police Department
Corporal Robin Green, Lafayette Police Department
Corporal Todd Green, Lafayette Police Department
Lieutenant Dan Herman, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office
Chief Gary Hobbs, Mansfield Police Department
Officer Shantell Howard, New Orleans Police Department
Sergeant Randal Leger, Lafayette Police Department
Corporal Michael Middlebrook, Lafayette Police Department
Officer George Morrison, Krotz Springs Police Department
Officer Hue Pham, Baton Rouge Police Department
Master Trooper Hershel Smith, Louisiana State Police