RIP
Nicola Cotton.
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/no_cop_killed_with_own_gun.html
Young officer devoted to work
by The Times-Picayune
Monday January 28, 2008, 8:43 PM
By Laura Maggi Staff writer
Nicola Cotton was the kind of person who always had time for a friendly chat, even if she was hurrying off, friends and neighbors said Monday night at a vigil held in honor of the slain New Orleans police officer outside the apartment building where she lived.
Cotton, 24, was a devoted police officer, known around the Pontchartrain Oaks apartments in eastern New Orleans as somebody who had time for her neighbors, said Wanda Santa Marina, another resident.
"She was just a beautiful person," Santa Marina said after lighting a candle in front of Cotton's door. The doorway was crowded with teddy bears, candles, flowers and cards. The door bore a handwritten sign that read, "We love you Nicole."
Many residents recalled that Cotton could often be seen walking her dog, a black Labrador retriever named London, around the complex and spoke with pride about her chosen profession. Her mother had recently come from Memphis for a visit, said Hope Brown, the apartment's resident manager.
"She was very positive, very upbeat," said Claire Harmon, a neighbor. "I've never seen her down or looking sad at all."
Cotton died after being shot several times Monday morning after struggling with a man outside a small shopping plaza in Central City. Bernel Johnson, 44, grabbed Cotton's gun during the altercation and fired repeated rounds, police said. Johnson was booked with first-degree murder.
Barbara Lacen Keller, a member of a Central City nonprofit group that works closely with 6th District police, came to the scene after the shooting. She said Cotton was energetic and serious about her work.
Cotton hoped to implement a program to help the girls in the district, Lacen Keller said. "This is not just a person that served the community. This is someone who was part of the community," she said.
Standing nearby, the Rev. Chante H. Sutton of the God Who Cares Tabernacle reminisced about Cotton, his former classmate at Warren Easton High School, where they both graduated in 2001.
"She was shy and soft-spoken," he said. "She was always one of the smartest kids in the class." About seven months ago, Sutton ran into Cotton at a local bank and asked about her new police career.
"She said it's something she always wanted to do," Sutton said.
Cotton, who was single with no children, was pursuing a criminal justice degree at Delgado Community College. She was hired by the New Orleans Police Department in June 2005, just a few months before Hurricane Katrina. She graduated among the first bunch of recruits who went through the academy after the storm and was promoted to a full-fledged police officer in June 2006.
The new officer was assigned to the 6th District, although she recently volunteered to train recruits in the 7th District. Because she was so new, Cotton barely had enough experience to serve as a field training officer, said Maj. Michael Glasser, commander of the 7th District. "But she showed promise, if not tenure," he said.
Cotton had returned to the 6th District, which covers Central City, the Garden District and Irish Channel, on Jan. 20, according to civil service records.
Anthony Harmon, a neighbor who managed the McDonald's restaurant on South Claiborne Avenue, said Cotton would often stop by at the end of his shift to make sure he had no problems locking up for the night.
A group of about 25 neighbors, along with District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson, NOPD Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo and Deputy Chief Bruce Adams, gathered in the parking lot in front of Cotton's apartment, to pray and sing hymns.
Sister Lou Petry, a Eucharistic missionary at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church who also lives in Pontchartrain Oaks, remembered Cotton as somebody who was full of life.
"I hope she was not afraid at the end," Petry said. "She was always so full of life, so considerate of others."
Laura Maggi can be reached at lmaggi@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3316.
Nicola Cotton.
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/no_cop_killed_with_own_gun.html
Young officer devoted to work
by The Times-Picayune
Monday January 28, 2008, 8:43 PM
By Laura Maggi Staff writer
Nicola Cotton was the kind of person who always had time for a friendly chat, even if she was hurrying off, friends and neighbors said Monday night at a vigil held in honor of the slain New Orleans police officer outside the apartment building where she lived.
Cotton, 24, was a devoted police officer, known around the Pontchartrain Oaks apartments in eastern New Orleans as somebody who had time for her neighbors, said Wanda Santa Marina, another resident.
"She was just a beautiful person," Santa Marina said after lighting a candle in front of Cotton's door. The doorway was crowded with teddy bears, candles, flowers and cards. The door bore a handwritten sign that read, "We love you Nicole."
Many residents recalled that Cotton could often be seen walking her dog, a black Labrador retriever named London, around the complex and spoke with pride about her chosen profession. Her mother had recently come from Memphis for a visit, said Hope Brown, the apartment's resident manager.
"She was very positive, very upbeat," said Claire Harmon, a neighbor. "I've never seen her down or looking sad at all."
Cotton died after being shot several times Monday morning after struggling with a man outside a small shopping plaza in Central City. Bernel Johnson, 44, grabbed Cotton's gun during the altercation and fired repeated rounds, police said. Johnson was booked with first-degree murder.
Barbara Lacen Keller, a member of a Central City nonprofit group that works closely with 6th District police, came to the scene after the shooting. She said Cotton was energetic and serious about her work.
Cotton hoped to implement a program to help the girls in the district, Lacen Keller said. "This is not just a person that served the community. This is someone who was part of the community," she said.
Standing nearby, the Rev. Chante H. Sutton of the God Who Cares Tabernacle reminisced about Cotton, his former classmate at Warren Easton High School, where they both graduated in 2001.
"She was shy and soft-spoken," he said. "She was always one of the smartest kids in the class." About seven months ago, Sutton ran into Cotton at a local bank and asked about her new police career.
"She said it's something she always wanted to do," Sutton said.
Cotton, who was single with no children, was pursuing a criminal justice degree at Delgado Community College. She was hired by the New Orleans Police Department in June 2005, just a few months before Hurricane Katrina. She graduated among the first bunch of recruits who went through the academy after the storm and was promoted to a full-fledged police officer in June 2006.
The new officer was assigned to the 6th District, although she recently volunteered to train recruits in the 7th District. Because she was so new, Cotton barely had enough experience to serve as a field training officer, said Maj. Michael Glasser, commander of the 7th District. "But she showed promise, if not tenure," he said.
Cotton had returned to the 6th District, which covers Central City, the Garden District and Irish Channel, on Jan. 20, according to civil service records.
Anthony Harmon, a neighbor who managed the McDonald's restaurant on South Claiborne Avenue, said Cotton would often stop by at the end of his shift to make sure he had no problems locking up for the night.
A group of about 25 neighbors, along with District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson, NOPD Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo and Deputy Chief Bruce Adams, gathered in the parking lot in front of Cotton's apartment, to pray and sing hymns.
Sister Lou Petry, a Eucharistic missionary at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church who also lives in Pontchartrain Oaks, remembered Cotton as somebody who was full of life.
"I hope she was not afraid at the end," Petry said. "She was always so full of life, so considerate of others."
Laura Maggi can be reached at lmaggi@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3316.
1 Comments:
So sad....
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