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Video: Widow of Fallen Baton Rouge Officer Says She's Pregnant with His Baby

Gerald said she immediately went and told her family, her in-laws, her fellow officer wives Trenisha Jackson and Tonja Garafola as well as Officer Gerald's squad. She admitted she's very excited yet very scared, especially since she said her husband was a very hands-on dad.

September 7, 2016
Video: Widow of Fallen Baton Rouge Officer Says She's Pregnant with His Baby

 

1 min to read


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The wife of fallen Baton Rouge Police Officer Matthew Gerald said her husband left her with one final gift. 

Dechia Gerald said the gift will be a wonderful and constant reminder of her late husband.

"I just wanted to let the world know about our gift that Matt left behind when he left us," Gerald said. "We're expecting."

Gerald told WAFB TV she immediately went and told her family, her in-laws, her fellow officer wives Trenisha Jackson and Tonja Garafola as well as Officer Gerald's squad. She admitted she's very excited yet very scared, especially since she said her husband was a very hands-on dad. 

In the first few weeks of July, officers were working 12 hours a day without any days off because of the protests in the city. She's surprised she even got the night of July 12 with him, the night she believes she conceived, just five days before Officer Gerald died in the line of duty. 

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The baby is due in April.


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