The widow of a Louisiana police officer killed in the service of the Lafayette Police Department this month claims the city failed their family- and she’s stepped forward with a public statement.
Adrienne Middlebrook feels her family has been cheated by the local government, who reportedly has placed her in a tight spot.
‘’You have us; we are with you whatever you need. Please know that you can call on any of us,’ City-Parish President Joel Robideaux told Cpl. Michael Middlebrook’s family at his funeral on Friday, Oct. 6. When called upon to fulfill this promise, however, Robideaux and Lafayette Consolidated Government failed this hero’s family. Other than summarily denying a request to maintain benefits at the current level, representatives of LCG (Lafayette Consolidated Government) have not extended the basic courtesy of communicating its position,” the Middlebrook camp’s statement read.
According to Mrs. Middlebrook, the local government deemed it appropriate to terminate her husband’s health insurance less than two days after he was killed trying to stop an armed robbery.
“Within 48 hours of this tragedy, LCG advised ranking officers of the Lafayette Police Department that health insurance coverage would be terminated a mere six days after his death. When the decision was challenged, LCG promised that it would provide a remedy. Now, three weeks later, the best it says it can do for this family is to saddle them with an extra $4,000 a year in health insurance costs by moving them into retirement status,” the statement added.
Last week, Middlebrook was written a letter by LCG City Attorney Paul Escott, saying she had to accept a 125% premium increase or lose the option “forever.”
“This is not how many other cities, like Baton Rouge, handle health benefits for the surviving family members of officers killed in the line of duty. For the rest of their lives, the surviving family members of Baton Rouge officers killed in the line of duty continue to pay the same premiums as every other officer on the force,” Middlebrook’s statement noted.
According to KATC, the city responded to an inquiry with the following statement:
“Beginning Thursday, October 12, the attorney for Officer Middlebrook’s family communicated to attorneys for Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) an objection to the release of, among other things, any personal and/or financial information regarding Mrs. Middlebrook and her family. On October 16, the family’s attorney sent an email to attorneys for LCG restating the objection to the release of such information and threatening LCG with legal action if it fails to comply. Then again on October 17, the attorney for the Middlebrook family sent a letter via email and fax directly to the Mayor-President once again repeating the objection of releasing information related to the family. Accordingly, LCG is respecting the wishes of the Middlebrook family and is not issuing any public statement regarding their situation. “
