Carlie, I just got a call. There was a policemen shot and it was Mike. He didn’t make it.
Mike. Corporal Michael Middlebrook. The husband of his one and only co-worker, Adrienne.
I’ll always remember the look on Joey’s face when he came into our room in the middle of the night on Sunday to wake me and tell me. He brought our baby in and we snuggled her close. Laying there in disbelief.
Death, whether directly or indirectly affected by it, is the one thing that just touches you right at the core when you’re a parent. You’re never prepared for it.
I cried for his wife.
For his daughter and step-daughters.
For his parents and siblings.
For his brothers and sisters in blue.
So much to mourn in an event that took only seconds.
I lay awake, my mind racing all over the place. I can’t imagine how his wife will process this. The hurdles she’ll face. As a mother, she’ll be forced to find answers when she doesn’t have them for many years to come. She’ll have to carry on when the foundation of her life has been broken.
As mothers, spouses and partners, it is heart wrenching. We feel her pain and our hearts go out to his wife and children. I know, from multiple conversations over the last few days, that there are so many people praying for them.
To Adrienne…
Your husband was very loved. He selflessly served his community. He is a hero, and there are no words to describe how sorry we are that he encountered so much hate. We hope that his kindness and love lives on through you and the girls.
Much love from myself and all the mothers here in Lafayette.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Cpl. Middlebrook’s honor can be made to City of Lafayette Police Department Fallen Heroes Fund through the Community Foundation of Acadiana.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Middlebrook family online here.
