Nick Tullier, 'true hero' wounded in 2016 ambush on Baton Rouge law officers, dies at 47 - The Advocate
Longtime East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputy Nick Tullier, wounded six years ago in an ambush on law officers following Alton Sterling-related protests, died Thursday, his family said. He was 47.
Tributes poured in from all circles. Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said he was heartbroken to learn of the death, and Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome called Tullier a "true hero" for his effort to protect Baton Rouge. She directed that flags be lowered to half-staff at government buildings to honor the fourth officer killed in the 2016 attack along Airline Highway.
Tullier's family posted notices on their personal Facebook pages. The death was also reported at "Nick Tullier Strong," a page dedicated to news about the deputy's recovery and rehabilitation.
"God has gained his best angel this morning," it added shortly after 8 a.m.
James Tullier, the deputy's father, posted simply "Our precious son died."
Tullier worked as a patrol deputy with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office for nearly two decades.
According to Seale Funeral Home, who is handling Tullier's funeral arrangements, a funeral procession has been planned for Tullier at 2:30 p.m. beginning at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital on Essen Lane.
"If people want to watch the procession they can do it on Range Avenue because there's about a half-mile between the interstate and the funeral home to line up," Tracy Schexnaydre, funeral director at Seale Funeral Home, said. "If you wanted to be somewhere you can watch it come in, you can park at the back of the funeral home as well."
The procession will head north from the hospital on Essen to Interstate 12, before exiting I-12 at Range Avenue and ending at Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs.
“I am heartbroken at the passing of a true hero, Cpl. Nick Tullier," Gautreaux said. "Nick’s injury was a result of his selfless actions to courageously answer the call to protect and serve. For nearly six years he has defied all odds in recovery through his unwavering tenacity.
"My heart and prayers go out to them, Nick’s sons Gage and Trenton, and all of his family. Nick’s story certainly does not end here. His legacy of service, sacrifice and faith lives on through all of those he touched. We will be forever grateful and always remember and honor our hero, Nick Tullier.”
Broome asked that the community keep Tullier's family in its thoughts and prayers.
"Deputy Nick Tullier is a true hero who served East Baton Rouge Parish with honor and distinction," Broome said. "Deputy Tullier and his fellow law enforcement officers put their lives on the line so the rest of us could be safe. His life epitomized what it means to protect and serve."
Tullier was drinking coffee with a fellow deputy, Sgt. Bruce Simmons, the morning of July 17, 2016, when a call crackled over the radio: Shots fired, officer down. The two deputies raced to the B-Quik convenience store on Airline Highway, where a lone gunman from Missouri, 29-year-old Gavin Eugene Long, was in the midst of a rampage.
Tullier spotted the gunman's car, a rented Chevy Malibu with Missouri tags, and was running the plates when Long opened fire on him with an assault weapon. One round struck Tullier in the stomach and a second hit him in the head, shattering his skull and damaging his brain. A third bullet struck Tullier in the shoulder.
Three other officers died in the attack: Deputy Brad Garafola and Baton Rouge policemen Montrell Jackson and Matthew Gerald. Long died, too, cut down in a hail of gunfire. The gunman traveled to Baton Rouge after the fatal police shooting of Sterling a few weeks earlier, which ignited nationwide protests about police brutality.
Simmons, who was shot in the left arm not far from where Tullier was gunned down, spent several days in the hospital and underwent numerous procedures.
As Tullier fought for his life in the hospital for years, he became a hero to many in the Baton Rouge region.
Throughout Tullier's hospital stay, his parents remained constantly by his bedside. His father posted frequent updates on his son's condition to Facebook — first on his own page and then, after exceeding the number of friends allowed on the social networking site, to the "Nick Tullier Strong" page.
James Tullier ended nearly every message with a similar plea: For "prayer warriors" around the world to continue praying for his son's recovery.
In August 2016, when floodwaters rose in Denham Springs, James Tullier's home went under water, as did the homes of the wounded deputy's two brothers. The family continued living at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where James Tullier parked a motor home outside the hospital.
A Denham Springs native, Nick Tullier was a kicker and tight end on the Denham Springs High football team; he graduated in 1994. Former classmates in the Livingston Parish community organized fundraisers and prayer groups after Tullier was wounded.
The Denham Springs Kiwanis Club created the "Nick Tullier Service Above Self" award for law enforcement in Livingston Parish to honor Tullier.
The award is given to a department, unit or individual in Livingston Parish law enforcement who puts the needs of others before themselves "without desiring praise, thought, or reward for their actions," according to the Denham Springs Kiwanis Club.
Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said in a statement that it was “truly a sad day” and that he would not forget Tullier.
“He was such a nice guy,” Ard said. “He was sincere. He truly loved life. He was a helper. He would give you the shirt off of his back if it would help you. Even after the 2016 attack, Nick helped us to be better. He inspired all of us to do better. To try, no matter what.
“God gains angels every day. Today, he received the strongest I’ve ever known,” he said.
After the shooting, Tullier spent years receiving treatment in different medical facilities in the Houston area before moving back to Baton Rouge in August 2020.
According to the "Nick Tullier Strong" Facebook page, in recent days bloodwork for Tullier confirmed he had become septic and the family described his condition as "critical."
source: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_5940a4fc-c66e-11e8-b2c7-673409a92b35.html
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