On the morning of July 17, 2016, Matthew Lane Gerald, a 41-year-old White male, began his patrol shift like any other day. A former Marine and a decorated Army veteran who had served three tours in Iraq, Gerald was new to the Baton Rouge Police Department, having just graduated from the academy months earlier in March. He was a father of two who had found his true calling in law enforcement, proudly wearing the blue uniform to protect and serve his community.
That morning, however, would end in a tragedy that shook the city, as he and his fellow officers responded to a seemingly routine call that quickly escalated into a calculated and brutal ambush.
The suspect, Gavin Long, a 29-year-old former Marine from Missouri, had traveled to Baton Rouge with the specific intent of targeting police officers. Dressed in black and heavily armed with two semi-automatic rifles and a pistol, Long deliberately ambushed the officers outside a convenience store on Airline Highway shortly before 9:00 a.m. The attack was described by authorities as methodical and ruthlessly efficient. Officer Gerald, along with his colleague, 32-year-old Officer Montrell Jackson, and 45-year-old East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola were killed in the ensuing gunfire. Three other officers were wounded in the attack.
The entire violent encounter was over in a matter of minutes. After killing the three officers and wounding others, Gavin Long was engaged by a SWAT team. In the ensuing shootout, Long was shot and killed at the scene, bringing the immediate threat to an end. The investigation that followed revealed the chilling extent of Long's planning. He had researched the personal information of officers involved in the recent fatal shooting of Alton Sterling and left a suicide note describing his actions as a 'necessary evil' to create change within America's police force and judicial system.
Because the sole suspect was killed at the scene, there was no arrest or trial. The East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's office investigated the shooting and determined that the officers who fatally shot Long were justified in their actions, closing the legal chapter of the tragic event. The community was left to mourn the loss of the fallen officers, remembered as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
