In celebration of National Police Week May 12-16, ceremonies were held Wednesday (May 14) in Bossier City honoring officers who have died in the line of duty.

One of those recognized was Deputy William Earl “Billy” Collins Jr. who was shot and killed in the early evening hours of July 9, 2021 while responding to a disturbance call in Doyline.

Collins was a  parish deputy working as a corrections officer at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center and worked as a part-time police officer in Doyline. He was 53 years old.

Collins’ mother, Paula McGrew-Moore, attended Wednesday’s ceremony where she received a memento from Major Robert Hayden of the Webster Sheriff’s Office. Joining Hayden to represent the sheriff’s office was deputy Buster Flowers.

“These officers honored today, and all those who have fallen while serving the public, must never be forgotten,” Parker said. “They’re at the end of their watch, but they will never be out of our memory.”

Webster deputies who also died in the line of duty include Trey Copeland, 47, who died in 2021 and Christopher Goodwill. Goodwill was killed in a shootout in 1901. School Resource Officer Deputy Leander Mathews died of a sudden illness (an apparent heart attack) in July, 2024. He was 60 years old.

A report released in January of this year by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund shows 147 federal, state, county, municipal, military, tribal, and campus officers died in the line of duty in 2024.

“Every law enforcement officer knows the potential dangers, and still they report to duty each day. Sometimes their service becomes the ultimate sacrifice,” Parker said.

“When an officer dies in the line of duty, no matter where, we lose a family member. We will always remember their dedication, their service and their sacrifice,” he said.