MARRERO, La. (WGNO) – A GoFundMe page set up to help the family of fallen Westwego Police Officer Michael Louviere has raised more than $50,000 in four days.
As of 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, the online fundraising page had raised $50,171.
According to the web page, set up by Louviere’s childhood friend Reese d’Aquin, 100 percent of the money raised will go to Louviere’s family. The former Marine who toured Afghanistan leaves behind a wife and two children.
d’Aquin recalls in his online message that Louviere grew up in Marrero and enjoyed riding bikes with his group of friends in the neighborhood.
“It was here where Michael (aka ‘The Miz’) and all our neighborhood friends would meet up to skateboard and jump BMX ramps,” d’Aquin says. “We called ourselves ATP (‘all that pedaling’). It was quite funny because there is a traffic light next to my house that provided us with a captive audience every five minutes. Of course, everyone on the road waited for the inevitable bike crash. As I recall, The Miz was the only person to be moderately injured at ATP.”
Louviere was shot and killed early Friday morning when he stopped at the corner of Barataria Boulevard and Ames Boulevard to help with domestic incident that had spilled into the street.
Sylvester Holt, 22, had shot his pregnant wife, 32-year-old Simone Veal, and then shot Louviere in the head.
Holt then fled to the Crescent City Connection, where he lingered on the bridge for more than seven hours until he eventually shot himself in the chest. He died from his injuries late Friday night.
Visitation for Louviere will be held Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at White Dove Fellowship Church in Harvey. A funeral service and celebration of life will immediately follow.
Burial with full honors will take place at Westlawn Memorial Park, 1225 Whitney Ave., in Gretna.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the memory of Michael Louviere to Westwego Police Benevolent Association, 401 4th Street, Westwego, LA 70094.
Mothe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
