Jim Rosica
“As a mark of respect,” Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags at half staff in honor of three police officers killed Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Scott is in Cleveland this week for the Republican National Convention. He issued the order Tuesday through General Counsel William Spicola, according to a memo.
The U.S. and Florida flags will be flown at half staff “at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida,” the memo says.
The flags “shall be lowered immediately and remain at half-staff until the expiration of the President’s national directive, at sunset July 22, 2016,” it added.
Families with children, drivers passing through and law enforcement officers from outside the area have been laying flowers and balloons or hanging crosses at a makeshift memorial in front of the B-Quick convenience store near where the officers were killed Sunday.
Funeral arrangements for two of the officers have been made public: Montrell Jackson, a 10-year police force veteran with a newborn at home, will be laid to rest Monday.
Visitation for Matthew Gerald, an Iraq war veteran who became a Baton Rouge police officer less than a year ago, will be held Thursday and Friday. Funeral services will be held Friday.
Arrangements for 45-year-old Brad Garafola, an East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputy and a father of four, have not been made public.
The three are among 10 law enforcement officers killed over a span of 10 turbulent days around the country by attackers — at a protest march in Dallas, a courthouse in Michigan and now a convenience store in Baton Rouge.
Gavin Long, a former Marine from Missouri dressed in black and carrying extra ammunition, opened fire on officers about 8:45 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Garafola and Gerald were white. Jackson was black, as was the gunman. Three other officers were wounded. Long was killed at the scene.
This post contains reporting from The Associated Press, reprinted with permission.
