The Spirit Lives On : Trooper Michael W. Haynes

One Year Later:  Montana Highway Patrol – End of Watch March 27, 2009

I suppose that we all have an impact on those around us, those whose lives brush up against ours through time. Whether it is through actions or reactions, words or deeds, we as friend, family, or foe can cause an action or reaction in those around us.  There are some in this world whose impact far surpasses the circle of family and friends; ones who have a message so strong and so profound that its reach is widespread and seeks out those outside their acquaintances.  These men and women have the ability by either chance or God's design to touch hearts and change lives.  Maybe it is by their example.  Or maybe it is by their direct interaction with those around them.  These special few are those who in some inexplicable way alter the path of another’s life, even those of complete strangers.  Michael Haynes was one of those men.

Trooper Michael Haynes was and is many things to many people.  He served his country with pride, courage, and honor.  He served the citizens of the great State of Montana as a proud member of the Montana Highway Patrol.  He was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend.  Today is the anniversary of the date that marked the end of Trooper Haynes' earthly watch and the beginning of a new tour of duty in a higher place.  On March 27, 2009, one year ago today, his body ceased to be all these things to those who knew and loved him.  There would be no more times to laugh and enjoy the company of his family while recalling old memories and making new ones playing video games, playing his bass, or out shooting with his dad.  There would be no more days that he would hug his children close to his chest as he marveled at the wonderful tiny people he was blessed to have in his life.  He wouldn’t have another chance to take his beloved wife in his arms and tell her just how much he loved her.  No longer would he patrol the highways of Montana in his quest to serve and protect the citizens that were entrusted to his care.  Never again would he be the one to lead the charge to curb the ever-growing numbers of those who feel that there is nothing wrong with putting the lives of every other man, woman, and child on the line when they drink then drive.  A generous, happy, loving, and honest man was taken away from his family and friends by one of those that he worked tirelessly to stop...a drunk driver.

But, while Trooper Haynes left this world in body, he did not leave it in spirit.  That spirit remains in the legacy he left behind.  His wife, Tawny, and their adorable children will forever carry him in their hearts.  The mother and father who brought him into this world as a gift from God will never be apart from the ever-lasting special love that only a child can give.  And the memories of growing up with that special bond that only exists between siblings will never fade for his brother and sister.  He did not get to complete his task here on earth, but his wife, his family, and his fellow officers will take up the battle for him.  They have and will continue to pick up and carry on that task in his absence.  His vision of a safe and better world can still be seen through the eyes of each of them as well as those of us who were lucky enough to learn and read about him through his friends and family.

The first time I learned of Trooper Haynes was in a breaking news alert from a station in Montana.  It was March 23, 2009.  I really just scanned the title and then closed the email. I was almost ready to delete it when I changed my mind and went back to it again.  For some reason, I clicked on the link and went to the station’s website.  I read the article and it upset me.  His name wasn’t even listed at first.  That came later.  I was little surprised that I felt so unsettled after reading about the crash.  I mean I didn't know this man.  But it bothered me.  At first there was no information about his condition.  I believe it might have been the next day that I checked again and it said "critical but stable".  I kept waiting for more information but it never came.  I checked the site several times that day but found nothing new.  I remember thinking that this was good.  We all know that good news doesn't typically sell.  And at that point I did not understand that the Montana stations were different from most in that they appear to go out of their way to present as many good news stories as bad ones.  So I thought, "Okay. No news. So he must be doing better. Probably won't hear anything else about him."  But, it just kept bothering me so the next day I checked again but really found nothing more.  I let a couple of more days go by.  I thought about it several times but decided I needed to stop checking on it so often.  And then I went back to check one more time.  The date was March 27th.  There was still nothing new there.  That confirmed it.  He was okay.  He would be fine and they wouldn't bother to report that.

I remember exactly what I was doing.  I was sitting at the desk and had closed the station’s website.  I opened Facebook and was there for maybe an hour at the most when I heard an email come in.  It was another breaking news alert.  I opened it without thinking about it.  And as soon as I did, I couldn't even move.  I couldn't open the site.  I couldn't close the email.  I just couldn't do anything...except cry.  I sat in that chair and cried for...I don't even know how long.  I cried for this man I did not know.  I cried for a family and friends I had never met.  I cannot tell you to this day, not even after a year of trying to figure it out, why the loss of one officer that I did not know, had never met and never even heard of before affected me in the way that it did.  It just broke my heart.  I will never forget it.  I will never forget him or the things I've learned about him as a Trooper and as a man from his family and friends.  And I will never forget his death telling me that I have a job to do.   I have to make people see.  I have to make them understand that there are men and women all across this nation who walk out the doors of their homes every single day to protect all of us.  They kiss their loved ones and they go do jobs that few in this world can do.  Every minute of their day is filled with danger.  The most routine call can turn deadly in the blink of an eye.  And a drunk driver behind the wheel can be traveling the wrong way on the wrong side of the highway heading straight into a deadly collision.

There are many things about the life of a peace officer that I somehow knew in that one minute of time.  I won't pretend to know what it's like to be an officer or be the wife or husband, son or daughter, brother or sister, father or mother of an officer.  My sister was a deputy.  My nephew is an officer.  But, I didn't get it.  I didn't understand before and sadly it is not through my love for them that I understand now.  It took the death of a good man I never got to meet to somehow make me understand at least a part of what they face in terms of a public that usually doesn't want them around unless they are the one that needs help.  And I know that the majority of those who do not spend their waking hours spewing hate and contempt for the very person who would be there to help them day or night are at best apathetic and stand idly by like it doesn't concern them.  It's my job, my place to do whatever I can do to change that.  One person, two...whether the number is small or the number is large...it is my task to try to make that happen.  The loss of Trooper Haynes somehow showed me that.  His death changed my life.

I know that there is not one second in time that he is not walking every step that Tawny walks as she carries on his fight in trying to raise awareness and gain support for toughening the laws for DUI offenders.  I know that he was standing at her side supporting her when she accepted the award on his behalf as he was recognized along with Trooper Glen Barcus for leading the Highway Patrol in DUI arrests the year before he was killed.  And I know that he has a special smile for her, his family, and his fellow officers who took over the watch for him and are fighting those battles today.  I sincerely hope with all my heart that when the day comes that I can stand in front of him, face to face, and finally get to shake his hand...I hope he smiles and I hope he says "Good job. You did well."


Trooper Haynes, you are missed terribly by those who love you and those who had the privilege to know you.  Thanks to Tawny and your dad I have had a very blessed opportunity to learn many things about you, how you lived your life and the man you became.  It is truly an honor.  And if I may say just one more thing… “Good job, sir. You did well.”

Written By: Peggy Parker - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those who Wear The Shield~

Not On My Watch: Cpl. Jackson Brackett

University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department

There are little boys and girls born into this world destined to grow into the men and women whose purpose in life is to give themselves to the service and protection of others. And a day will come that a shield is pinned on their chests. It takes someone special to fulfill the promises that they make on that day, someone with that unique quality inside of them that most of us do not have. They put their lives on the line every time they walk out the door to begin their shift. There is nothing routine about what they do, not one second of it. As they make unbelievable sacrifices, see unspeakable things, deal with stress that would break a lesser person, they are also searching. They're looking for that place, that spot. They're seeking "THE" niche they fit into. Every minute spent in their career is spent protecting those who cannot protect themselves. But for each one there is a specific place they belong, a particular job, area or specialty that they were meant to do. The men and women behind those shields are looking for that slot where their individual abilities give them the opportunity and the chance to make a difference, to make things better. Cpl. Jackson Brackett of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department is one of those men. And he just may have found his spot.

Cpl. Brackett began his career in law enforcement in 2003 as a Deputy Sheriff working in Corrections for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office. You have to wonder if anyone realized when he set a new record for the mile and a half run in the time of 9 minutes and 13 seconds at the Police Academy that it was just the first of many times that he would excel at the tasks put before him in the years to come. He spent the next several years working in Corrections, but his desire was to be on patrol. That desire was realized on the day he was hired by the Richwood Police Department. That was to prove to be a test both physically and mentally that would strengthen him and prepare him for what was to come later. He was the only officer on the night shift. Any of you who work the rural areas or have worked single-man patrols know that it requires you to be creative and think outside the normal parameters in terms of your own safety, how to handle those calls, and how to make the right decisions because you never know where your closest back-up is or if you have any back-up at all. It was during this time that Cpl. Brackett became extremely interested in drug interdiction. When he mentioned this interest, he immediately had our attention.

There are probably few among us whose lives have not been affected by the rampant drug use in today’s world. Whether it is someone in our family, a friend, or a co-worker whose life was directly or indirectly changed by the epidemic of illicit drug use, most of us have seen or felt the effects. Drugs can and most often do destroy lives physically, emotionally, and financially. Both humanity and morality die a slow agonizing death at the hand of this cancer that is eating away our very society.

Cpl. Brackett was ready to take the next step in his career and become one of those who work tirelessly to turn the tide of the ever-flowing river of drugs. He received a call one day from an individual who had attended the Police Academy with him and later became the Chief of another department. The call was offering him a position on their drug enforcement team. Cpl. Brackett accepted that offer and joined the Sterlington Police Department and their Highway Enforcement Apprehension Team (H.E.A.T - Drug Enforcement Team).

When speaking of this new direction in his career, Cpl. Brackett stated, "That was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life. I later was asked to join their S.W.A.T. team. While there I was also fortunate to be given the opportunity to be a part of their Mounted Horse Patrol. There were several influential friends there who really helped me hone my skills as a police officer and as an individual, especially Assistant Chief Dennis Sims."

After being a part of the narcotics team for a while, Cpl. Brackett’s desire grew to become a more well-rounded officer so he stepped into working DWI's.

"That is a very challenging task to go from finding drugs to finding drunk drivers. The procedures in dealing with an intoxicated driver is much more in depth and precise. It’s not like finding the person's drugs, putting them in cuffs and taking them to jail. I wish it were that simple, but it’s not."

He began thinking that to further his career as a DWI enforcement officer he needed to find a law enforcement home that was well known for their DWI abilities and could give him the needed tools to further refine his skills. He wanted to find a state agency to work for because he knew that no one was better at putting drunk drivers in jail than the State Police. He found that agency...The University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department. When he was given what he considers to be yet another grand opportunity, he started out focusing mainly on drug enforcement because that was what he knew best. During his first six months there, he got one of the first cases known to the department that resulted in both heroine and DWI on the same stop. (He pointed out that he wanted to make certain that we clarified that the arrestee was not a student but someone passing through.) His excellent work did not go unnoticed.

Cpl. Brackett, Lt. Chason

Cpl. Brackett's supervisor, Sgt. Chason (who is now his Lieutenant), approached him one night and posed a question. "Jackson, what is it that you really want to do? I know you like to find drugs, but I kind of get the feeling that you want to try something new."

The answer came immediately. "I want to work more DWI's."

Sgt. Chason told him that he would do whatever it took to help him succeed in making that possible. ULM started the Crime Reduction Unit (C.R.U. - DWI and Drug Enforcement Unit) soon after that conversation. Cpl. Brackett credits Sgt. Chason with being kind enough to give him a slot on the C.R.U. It is possible that he does not realize that although Sgt. Chason is undoubtedly a fine man and a great officer...kindness probably had nothing to do with it. Cpl. Brackett earned that spot.

Chief Ellerman, Cpl. Brackett

It didn't take long for the knowledge to sink in that he had found his calling. As a member of the C.R.U. he was not only able to still rid the streets of drugs, but he could also focus on DWI's. The first year that C.R.U. was created (2007) Sgt. Chason and Cpl. Brackett made nearly 100 arrests each which included both DWI and drug arrests. Once again, his hard work and successes captured the attention of fellow officers. In late March of 2009 he was approached by their Chief. Chief Larry Ellerman informed him that he had entered Cpl. Brackett into a statewide program that was put on by the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to help make the roads of Louisiana safer from drunk driving. Cpl. Brackett accepted that challenge and took it to heart.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 11,773 alcohol related auto accident fatalities in 2008. That count does not include the number of those whose lives were destroyed by the loss of a loved one or life-altering injuries. For that same year, there were 912 fatality accidents in the State of Louisiana alone. Of those, 338 were alcohol related. That's 37% of the total. Only 8 states had a higher percentage. If you look at those numbers you can see why Cpl. Brackett knows that of the many tasks his job entails, getting intoxicated drivers off the roads is one of utmost importance. In 2009, the University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department made 78 DWI arrests. Cpl. Brackett was instrumental in 52 of them.

The dedication that Cpl. Brackett puts into his job has now been recognized state-wide. Along with his Chief and Lt. Chason, he was invited to Baton Rouge to be honored for his successes where he received an award from the Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, and Governor Bobby Jindal for having the most DWI's in the State of Louisiana for a population 10,000 and under.

He does what he does because he cares. He does what he does because that's his spot, his place where he makes a difference. The day may come that his spot will move. He may take another step that will lead him to a new spot. But for today, he's where he belongs. What he does matters. It's important. And he knows that. How does he feel about the award and wide-spread recognition?

"I count it a great honor and a privilege to have served my community and state in assisting to make the roads of Louisiana safer for the residents of this wonderful state."

Does everyone appreciate what he does? No, probably not. I can think of about 52 specific individuals off the top of my head that probably don't. But they should! Those 52 lives and perhaps countless more were very possibly saved because during one moment in time a guardian angel in blue, wearing a shield and a name tag that reads "J. BRACKETT" pulled in behind them and turned on his lights.

Like drugs, there are not many whose lives are not touched by the effects of drunk driving at some point. And, there is not a single officer who has not seen or will see what happens when one chooses to exercise a careless disregard for themselves and others. Some must stand strong as they pull the body of a child from the mangled wreckage caused by one who was so sure they were the one who could drive responsibly after having all those drinks. How many have had to look in the eyes of a sobbing mother or father who is just beginning to understand through their drunken stupor that they just killed their own child with their negligence? And many of them know only too well what it feels like to be one of the victims of just such a driver. Cpl. Brackett is one who does. We came very close to not having the opportunity to honor his work while he is still here with us. You see, on November 20, 2009, Cpl. Brackett was off-duty when he stopped at that red light. And like most, he had no idea that a vehicle with an intoxicated driver would plow into him at 70 miles an hour. For four days, he lay unresponsive in a hospital. He came away from that experience with an even deeper conviction to do everything he could to not let that happen to others.

“That really made me understand how important it is to take drunk drivers off the road. It also opened my eyes to the horrible impact that drinking and driving has on the victim and their families.”

Now I know that a lot of you reading this have at some point had a few drinks then crawled behind the wheel. And I'm sure you thought that was no big deal. Others might not be able to drive after a few drinks, but you can...right? Wrong. Hopefully, Cpl. Brackett won't mind us using him as the officer in this little scenario.

You're driving along as you glance at your watch. You're very late. Your son and daughter will be waiting. You promised you'd be home in time for dinner. But, hey...how were you supposed to know that the staff would decide to go out for a few after work? I mean you haven't been there long. They would think it was rude if you didn't go with them. You're rummaging around in the center console. You know there are some breath mints in there somewhere. Oh, man. Cops. He can't be stopping you though, can he? You only had a few and you're already late. Yes, he is.

Okay maybe that's a little over the top and a tad simplistic, but not necessarily unrelated to scenarios that are played out across the country day after day, night after night. Now Cpl. Brackett takes his job very seriously. The need to make sure that the roadways are safe for all of us is paramount. The slogan "Drunk Driving - Over The Limit - Under Arrest" is not just a catch phrase for him. It's life and death. Now let's continue our story.

You're sitting on the side of the road with Cpl. Brackett at your window. And given that you're "just a little buzzed" you're giving him grief about stopping you when there are real criminals out there that he should be out chasing. Now let's just suppose that as you are protesting and complaining about how absurd it is that he stopped you, another car passes by. What you don't know are two things. One, your children have become concerned about you being so late and have set out in search of you. They're headed your way. Two, you know that car that just passed...the one that Cpl. Brackett might have stopped had you not been drinking and driving and he needed to stop you? Well that driver is intoxicated too. And, he's headed straight at your kids.

Can you see it now? Do you understand that just a few minutes before that YOU were headed straight at somebody's kids, somebody's brother or sister, somebody's mother or father? When you drink and drive you don't just take your life in your hands. You have the power to destroy entire families, both yours and others. That is why Cpl. Brackett does what he does. He and every other officer out there are not "out to get you". They're not out to harass you. They're out there to save you. They're out there to save all of the others who are on the roads with you. They're out there to stop you from causing an officer somewhere to have to walk up to one or more doors and tell the family inside that their world just came crashing down. Thank God that the Cpl. Brackett's of this world are there.

Chief Ellerman, Cpl. Brackett, Lt. Chason

His humility is evident in the way that he sees every step along the way in his career as a blessed opportunity, a gift given to him by his superiors when they gave him a chance. And he expressed his gratitude for those who helped him and allowed him to benefit from their experience along the way. He credits those around him for his success and abilities. And he knows the value of those intangible things that we so often take for granted like friendship, support, and family.

“I would like to give a special thank you to Chief Ellerman and Lt. Chason for all their support and believing in me. They have been very much instrumental in my success as a law enforcement officer. They are not only my Chief and Lieutenant, but they have grown to be my best friends also.”

The Brackett Family

He added an emotional thank you to his parents as well for guiding him through life and giving him the foundation on which the man and the officer is built today. We would like to add our thank you to them for that as well. It is doubtful that as they held that small bundle in their arms for the first time that they knew that they were holding one that would grow into a guardian angel who would give so much of himself to serve and protect others. But with their help, that little boy is today that man.

Each of us have people in our lives that inspire us to be better, go farther, work harder, and fly higher. If we're lucky we will have many such people in our lives. It's easy to see that Cpl. Brackett has always watched for those people and never failed to learn from them. But typically we all have very specific people who inspire us to be the very best that we can be. For Cpl. Brackett that inspiration comes from his sons. Children see the world through different eyes. They see it through a veil of innocence. Regardless of the stark contrast between what they see and what experience teaches us, those wise enough to let themselves view those things as they do will find inspiration in those young spirits. Being able to see what they see can and should inspire us all to make the world a better place. It does for Cpl. Brackett. What he learns from his sons inspires him to make the world better and safer, not just for them but for us all.

"Not On My Watch"

Accolades and praise are nice and always appreciated and accepted with pride in a job well done. But the real payback is in knowing he was in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing just because it is the right thing. The fulfillment of making the world more like what his children and our children see is the highest award he can earn and his most satisfying accomplishment.

There was one statement that Cpl. Brackett made that really stuck with us and tells in a few simple words the heart of this guardian of the Louisiana highways. "I am grateful to God for blessing me with the abilities he has given me and entrusted to me."

On behalf of those you serve and protect, let us just say that we are grateful as well, Cpl. Brackett. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks for being one of those who won’t let the drugs and drunks go by unchecked, for being one of those whose credo has been and remains “Not On My Watch”.



Written By: Peggy Parker - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those who Wear The Shield~