Friends and family of Senior Trooper Steven Vincent joined other participants in the Ruck for the Shield event held Saturday in Alexandria.
The event honored fallen heroes from Louisiana who lost their lives last year in service to our state and country.
This year, 13 police officers and Louisiana National Guardsmen were honored including Senior Trooper Steven Vincent of Troop D in Lake Charles and Sunset Police Officer Sgt. Henry Nelson.
Trooper Vincent was shot during a traffic incident on August 23, 2015 and succumbed to his wounds the next day. Sgt. Nelson died August 26 after responding to a 911 domestic violence call where police say 35 year old Harrison Lee Riley shot and killed the 52-year-old officer.
Participants walked or rode a bicycle over a course of a little over 13 miles (mostly while raining) which was marked with a sign honoring a fallen hero at each mile. Some chose to carry a 35 pound rucksack throughout the course.
Troopers from Troop D and Troop E were honored to join Steven’s wife Katherine and son Ethan in today’s event. Ethan was given the privilege of presenting trophies to the winners. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #31 organized the event which paid tribute to the following fallen heroes:
Mile 1 – Carl Bordelon of the Ball Police Department
Mile 2 – Rodney Condall of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office
Mile 3 – George Griffin, Jr. of the Louisiana National Guard
Mile 4 – David Strother of the Louisiana National Guard
Mile 5 – Lance Bergeron of the Louisiana National Guard
Mile 6 – Thomas Florich of the Louisiana National Guard
Mile 7 – Juandre Gillam of the Jeanerette Police Department
Mile 8 – James Bennett, Jr. of the New Orleans Housing Authority Police
Mile 9 – Daryle Holloway of the New Orleans Police Department
Mile 10 – Vernell Brown, Jr. of the New Orleans Police Department
Mile 11 – Thomas LaValley of the Shreveport Police Department
Mile 12 – Steven Vincent of the Louisiana State Police
Mile 13 – Henry Nelson of the Sunset Police Department
