Law enforcement officers and first responders from across Acadiana showed up to support their brother in uniform. His family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, also came all the way from Texas to be there.
JEANERETTE, La. (KLFY)-- The city of Jeanerette held a candlelight vigil Friday evening in honor of Lafayette Police Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette, who was killed in the line of duty.
Law enforcement officers and first responders from across Acadiana showed up to support their brother in uniform. His family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, also came all the way from Texas to be there.
"This is the family of Officer Jolivette," a speaker in the vigil said. "I had no idea they were coming. Our heart goes out to you guys."
"I came out tonight because Corporal Jolivette was a brother. We were actually on he scene, and we were there the whole time with him when this went down. So we came to show support for fellow police officers, first responders, fellow brothers, fellow sisters. That's something we always have to do," St. Mary Parish Fire Chief and Baldwin Police Lieutenant Clarence Clark said.
"We're a family here in Jeanerette, this organization, being a police officer, being a firefighter. It hits home when it's another brother that has been involed in something like this," Jeanerette firefighter and Baldwin police officer Tyus Gage said. "It's upsetting at times that we have to lose good peple like him, but we have to remember that good people like him help us get to where we are today. It's the nature of the beast. You lose a life, and you save some. At times, like yesterday, we just lost one."
While law enforcement from all different agencies came to support Senior Corporal Jolivette, his family from Texas also came and shared a message to the community.
"Just love on your loved ones, and I know when segus put that uniform on, he knew that there was a chance he wouldn't come home," his aunt said. "So you just never know. I'm sure Alexis didn't know the last time her husband walked out that door, that was the last time she was going to see him."
"Alexis and her family just really touched our community, and I feel like it's bringing a lot of people together, even though it's such a tragic event. For them to have such a young and full family, it's just really hard for everyone to see," Mallory Robicheaux, who worked with Jolivette's wife at a hospital, said.
"It's a terrible loss when a police officer gets killed like that in the line of duty. He has a family back home. Now his family doesn't have a father anymore. It's just important that we recognize the importance of our police and how danger their job is," former Iberia Parish councilman Eugene Olivier Senior told News 10.
Jolivette served in law enforcement for nearly 11 years. He leaves behind a wife and five children.
