“Grief is forever, the sadness that surrounds it is not. I chose to celebrate his life, not mourn it. All you get to keep is all that you shared” ~Tonja Garafola
BATON ROUGE — It’s a day every one in south Louisiana can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing at 8:42 a.m. on July 17, 2016. It’s a day Baton Rouge fell to its knees and time froze as news of an ambush on six law enforcement officers on a Sunday morning spread quickly.
In total, six men were hit. Three of them died on the scene: East Baton Rouge Deputy Brad Garafola, Baton Rouge Police Officers Matthew Gerald and Montrell Jackson. East Baton Rouge Sergeant Nick Tullier took three bullets and was paralyzed. He fought hard until his end of watch came on May 5, 2022. In total, four brave men sacrificed it all to take down a gunman whose goal was targeting police officers. BRPD Officer Chad Montgomery and EBRSO Sgt. Bruce Simmons were also injured in the July 17 ambush, and have since recovered.
July 17, 2024 marks eight years since that dark day in Baton Rouge history. Despite the daily struggles, life must go on and UWK has chosen to focus on the children of those four men and where they are in their lives today.
EBRSO Deputy Brad Garafola
Deputy Garafola and his wife Tonja had three children together: their oldest Braley, son Brad Jr. and their baby Samantha, known as “Sammie.”
Braley is now 23-years-old having just graduated LSU. She is planning to go back to school and apply for the Ultrasound Technician Program. Braley is now engaged to her high school sweetheart, Michael, and they have just moved into their first home together.
“It really doesn’t feel like it’s been eight years. Handling my grief may get easier, but it’s always going to be there, especially in these milestone moments. He wasn’t there to see me graduate college and he won’t be there to walk me down the aisle. Milestones like those is where I miss him the most. I just try my best to remember that no matter what, he is always with me,” Braley Garafola tells UWK.
Brad Jr. is now 21. He is on course to become a certified auto body technician at Joe Hudson Collision Center. During his free time, he still enjoys fishing and hunting. His heart is just as big as his dad’s.
“Every day when I’m outdoors, whether I’m fishing or hunting, I always keep in mind that to this day, he is always with me. I want to thank God for all the things that surround me that remind me of him,” said Brad Jr. Garafola.
Samantha is now approaching her sweet 16 and entering her junior year of high school as an honor roll student. She plans on taking forensic science and theater classes this coming year.
“It’s crazy how many years can go by without someone and you can look back to those moments as if time never passed. Although it is hard to remember things, given how young I was, I’ll never forget the time spent by his side. Using advice someone once gave me, I like to use the time spent and lost as fuel for the goals I have in my future, never giving up on anything or anyone around me,” said Samantha Garafola.
BRPD Officer Matthew Gerald
“Matt is gone and life has moved on without him but it still never gets easier. We celebrate and remember him anyway we can. He will always be missed and never forgotten.”~Dechia Gerald
Matthew and his wife Dechia Gerald had two children together, Fynleigh and Falyn, who was born after the July 17 ambush and his father’s death. He also had a stepdaughter, Dawclyn, who he considered to be his own daughter.
Dawclyn is now 17-year-old and a senior at Dutchtown High in Ascension Parish. She plans to ride in her high school rodeo. She is now driving and learning what “adult life” is like in the working world. She is searching and figuring out what the future looks like for her career path.
Her birthday is on July 16 and with every birthday that passes, Dawclyn is reminded of how many things Matt has missed out on and she gets angry that she was robbed that time with him. Dawclyn is into all things typical of teenagers such as plenty of sleep, hanging out with friends, working and vacationing.
Dawclyn finds her peace at the beach.
Fynleigh is now 11-years-old and going into the sixth grade. She is still sassy and smart, per her mom.
“Fynleigh struggles daily in multiple ways due to her dad’s death but with weekly therapies, she is finally making some progress. She is going into the 6th grade, currently attending Acellus Academy, which is an online program. She has obtained a 3.8 GPA this last year,” Dechia Gerald tells UWK.
Fynleigh loves animals, especially her puppy Lyla. She loves music, all things crafty, loves to swim and recently picked up the love for reading again. Her dream is to barrel race one day!
Falyn, known as Baby Buttons, was born after his dad passed. He earned his nickname from his father who friends and family called ‘Buttons’ because of his blue eyes. Falyn is now seven years old and going into the second grade. He wants to start cattle sorting with his family.
“Although he never met his dad, he talks about him all the time. We look at pictures often and he is always amazed and proud of how much he look likes his dad. Falyn loves all things sports. He has played soccer, basketball, baseball and flag football. This Fall, he is playing football for the St. Amant JR Gators.
He loves all things that are fast and furious but afraid of heights. He also makes really good grades,” said Gerald.
As for Dechia, she is now in her externship for a medical lab tech. She has 18 weeks of training left before graduating with an associate’s degree.
“Eight years later, we still struggle with missing Matt. Certain days still take me to my knees. Our anniversary is July 7, 2012. This year we would have been married for 12 years, but 14 total. When I think about this, it makes me really sad, thinking about all the things he has missed but also, all the things I experienced without him. I often look at my kiddos and wonder what he must think of them,” said Dechia.
BRPD Officer Montrell Jackson
Mason Jackson was months old when the news shattered his mother Trenisha Jackson. Mason was Montrell & Trenisha’s first and only child. He is now eight-year-old and a sports fanatic!
Mason is an honor roll student and extremely smart. He is now going into the third grade. Mason plays several sports but his favorite sports are soccer and baseball. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends as well as watching tv.
“It’s sad that’s it’s been eight years and I never really got to see him,” Mason Jackson tells UWK.
The Jackson & Garafola families did not know each other prior to July 17, 2016. Now, the combined four children are inseparable as are their mothers. In fact, Tonja & Trenisha call themselves the “TNT Dynamite” and told UWK that they are ‘still’ the TNT Dynamite!
“Grief is forever, the sadness that surrounds it is not. I chose to celebrate his life, not mourn it. All you get to keep is all that you shared,” Tonja Garafola told UWK.
EBRSO Sgt. Nick Tullier
Sergeant Nick Tullier had two sons, Trenton & Gage Tullier. His first grandson was born this year!
Trent is now 26-years-old and a new father. He was married to his bride Hannah roughly two years ago. He just passed his CWI exam and has been receiving many certifications for various things at his job.
“We just welcomed our sweet baby boy, Colsen Grey Tullier, June 10th 2024. Being a dad, is one of the most rewarding things to ever happen to me. I now understand what my dad meant when he would tell me that my brother and I were his entire world. My dad taught me how to ride a bike, how to workout properly, shoot a gun, and most importantly, how to be the best version of a dad. I will do my best to carry on all the life lessons my dad taught me, to my son Colsen. I’ve had some of the best moments of my life the past two years and wish he was here to celebrate with me. I know he is watching over us every step of the way,” Trent Tullier told UWK.
Gage Tullier will turn 25-years-old this month and is a proud uncle!
Gage separated from the Marine Corps in 2022 and now attends college at South Eastern Louisiana University for a business management degree.
“One of my greatest joys is being uncle G to my newborn nephew Colsen. As we come back around every year, this date always seems to haunt me more than I can explain. It’s a deep wound that I fear can never be healed, but through my father’s strong will passed down, I endure. This day not only is a day of loss, but is a day of heroism. This day stands as a reminder to the courage and sacrifice that each officer was willing to make to put an end to evil. May they rest in peace and God willing may I join them when my time comes,” Gage told UWK.
Nick Tullier became a household name with prayers coming in across the world. His parents, James & Mary Tullier took care of him 24/7 after the July 17 ambush.
“It still hasn’t gotten easier. We both think of Nick every day. I still go over remembering the frantic phone calls that morning, rushing to the hospital, blowing the horn almost continuously to get thru Denham Springs and onto the interstate, cop cars everywhere at the hospital entrance, screams and crying in the hospital ER and then waiting to hear anything on Nick.
So many things showed me that God was watching over Nick and us. The Taylor family sang hymns in the next ICU room when their father and our longtime friend Delmas Taylor passed away. Nick moved his foot for the 1st time since life saving surgery, hearing the signing from the next room. Doctors came from other departments in the hospital to see for themselves the miracle. We Prayed. Prayers were spoken from all over the world.
We were lucky to have Nick for a few more years. Now we wait for our time when we’ll see Nick again.”
James Tullier, Nick’s father
“I miss my son so much. I long to hear his voice, which I haven’t done in eight years. The phone calls where he would say, ‘What’s-up mama-son. I’m my way to pick you up for lunch’ or he would show up to the front door of our house opening to hear him say, ‘Whacha got cooking mama-son.’ There will never be another Nick. Like James said, we long to see him again.”
Mary Tullier, Nick’s mother
UWK recently spoke to James Tullier at length at life since Nick’s passing & the July 17 ambush in a Louisiana Unfiltered podcast.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
