Clyde Kerr III, a 43-year-old Black male, was a deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. A military veteran who had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Kerr was also a father. He was known as a beloved member of his community and served as a school resource officer at St. Genevieve School.
On Monday, February 1, 2021, Clyde Kerr III took his own life outside the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.
In the time leading up to his death, Kerr had posted a series of videos to social media. In these videos, he spoke directly to the camera, expressing his anguish and disillusionment. He discussed the profound difficulty of being a Black man in law enforcement in the climate of the time, referencing the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, and Trayford Pellerin at the hands of police.
Kerr described the justice system as 'demonic' and stated that he could no longer be a part of a system that did not care about him or people like him. He spoke of the internal conflict he faced, wearing a uniform while witnessing and hearing about acts of police brutality. In what he termed a 'protest,' Kerr chose to end his life. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office expressed that they were heartbroken by his death. His body was returned to his native New Orleans for his funeral.
