Baton Rouge Union of Police remembers BRPD officers

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Members of the Baton Rouge Union of Police are remembering the two BRPD officers killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, March 26.

The crash claimed the lives of Cpl. Scotty Canezaro and Sgt. David Poirrier. Both men were well-respected and well-liked members of law enforcement.

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“This has been devastating,” said Bill Profita, a public relations consultant for the Baton Rouge Union of Police. “These two men were just well thought of, professional officers, and everybody just kind of took a deep breath, and we’re still trying to let it out a little bit.”

The two officers frequently worked the night shift together and provided eyes from the sky for their fellow officers on the ground. Cpl. Canezaro and Sgt. Poirrier were often called in to assist with foot chases and vehicle pursuits.

“It takes a lot of skill. Not everybody can do this, and that’s why these two guys were doing what 99% of the population can’t do. They are doing something that 90% of fixed-winged pilots wouldn’t even try to do,” Profita added.

The officers’ extensive amounts of training and dedication to their community did not go unnoticed. Sgt. Poirrier and Cpl. Canezaro were named the Baton Rouge Police Department’s “Officers of the Month” back in 2019.

“But this leaves a mark. It doesn’t go away. We lost a couple of good guys,” Profita said.

While the officers’ lives may be lost, their legacy will never be forgotten.

“I think that everybody realizes that police work comes with danger. I think we often think of the dangers being officers in cars, people with guns, going through doors into dark places. We don’t think about a helicopter crash,” Profita explained.

Members of the Baton Rouge Union of Police are asking the Baton Rouge community to pray for the officers’ families and friends.

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