Community mourns loss of officers killed in chopper crash

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Flags across the Baton Rouge area are lowered at half-staff in honor of the two Baton Rouge police officers who died Sunday, March 26, in a helicopter crash.

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For the Denham Springs Police Department, they are honoring one of their own, Sgt. David Poirrier.

“I can say he was hard working. We were friends on the job and still were up until yesterday,” said Denham Springs Police Chief Rodney Walker.

Long before Walker was chief, he and Poirrier worked together for five years on uniform patrol before Poirrier left for the Baton Rouge Police Department in 2006.

“He was headstrong. I think anyone who knew him would say he was never wrong. Everybody loved him,” added Walker.

In 2002, Poirrier was honored as “Officer of the Year” by the Denham Springs Police Department.

“There was never a doubt he had my back and I had his,” Walker said.

With Sgt. Poirrier that tragic day was Cpl. Scotty Canezaro.

Canezaro was known for showing off the department helicopter to kids. He would fly and land the chopper, sometimes right in the backyard of their schools.

“He just came out of the blue and landed,” Karla Cormier said. “The kids were in awe.”

Canezaro would explain to the children how helicopters are the police department’s eyes in the sky, how rotors help helicopters fly, and what it feels like to sit inside of a helicopter.

Chief Walker says the loss of Poirrier and Canezaro is a loss for everyone who wears the badge.

“With the blue community, we come together and draw closer to each other. I’m proud to say that,” said Walker.

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