BATON ROUGE — After 23 years on the police force, Baton Rouge Police Sergeant Caleb Eisworth left his mark on both the community and department. Last June, everyone rallied around him after he was critically injured in what investigators called an “intentional, targeted hit.”
That June 16 incident led to both of Eisworth’s legs being amputated, and two months later, his untimely death. Now, the Baton Rouge Police department needs help raising money to help Eisworth’s fellow officers to honor his life and legacy in Washington, D.C. during National Police Week in May 2026.
“We are looking to send as many officers as possible to join myself and Darla, Caleb’s wife, and his family to Washington, D.C. in May for the law enforcement Memorial,” said BRPD Police Chief TJ Morse. “It’s an event that they hold every year in May to honor the officers that have fallen in line of duty for the previous year. This year, of course, we’ll be adding Sergeant Caleb Eisworth’s name.”
Fallen Officers Memorial
The memorial event includes speeches, a candlelight vigil, and a reading of the names of fallen officers.
MORE: Nick Tullier honored in Washington D.C. during National Police Week
“There are events that are for the families, for co-workers, for mental wellness, all those sort of things throughout the week.,” Chief Morse said. “So we would like to send as many officers as possible.”
This year, BRPD needs help raising money to get as many officers to D.C. as they can because of budget constraints this year.
“We’re not able to send as many as we would like to. So we’re just reaching out to the public,” the chief said. “The Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Foundation is helping us, and trying to raise those funds. But we’re asking for the public’s assistance to donate so that we can send all the guys from the motor division and traffic division that worked alongside Sergeant Eisworth, and as many officers as we possibly can who were deeply involved with him and his family, so they can go and support each other and be a part of that awesome event.”
Differences this year
While this year’s budget is different from years past, BRPD is also hoping to send more officers to Washington this year to honor Eisworth.
“For example, in 2024 we actually put four names on the wall,” Chief Morse said. “We sent just myself, and what they call escort officers, one officer per family that the council organization helped pay for. But we really weren’t able to send a bunch from other people.”
Morse said he got a lot of out the events in Washington when he attended two years ago.
“I think that it would be really good and get a lot out of all for all the guys that worked alongside with Sergeant Eisworth to be able to go this year,” he said.
This year’s budget is also making it tough for BRPD to send additional officers on their own.
“When we’re asking for $112 million budget, but only have a $98 million budget, unfortunately, I have to make decisions,” he said. “I have to save money for overtime and get assigned an officers to work at parades, and then don’t have the money for traveling officers for travel.”
“We could cover a little bit and send just a couple people, but the lives that Sergeant Eisworth touched and how close of a family they are,” the chief said. “We would like to send 20 to 30 officers this year, being contingent to go with the family and be there for each other and support each other for the event. And to be able to send that many, we just don’t have the budget to be able to do that.”
Morse said the Memorial Fund plays for the fallen officers close family members to go to the event.
“We’re not raising money for that. That is covered,” he said. “This is just for our officers to go, to go be with the family and support them and support each other.”
“The only way these officers are going to be able to go and be with each other, and have that closure of seeing the name of the wall is if we can get some of the public’s help,” the chief said. “It’s somewhere between $3,500 $4,000 per person. So even if you want to just say, ‘Hey, I want to adopt an officer, or a part of an officer,’ or even if you just want to give $50. Every little bit contributes and helps.”
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