KENNER, La. — Sergeant Peter Foltz wore his badge with honor and carried a heart full of compassion. The Kenner Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own. The 20-year veteran is being remembered as a genuinely good person and a man who strived to bring justice to all families who'd been touched by violence.
In a world where integrity is often tested, Sergeant Peter Foltz stood tall in his blue Kenner Police Department shirt. A symbol of integrity and empathy. Kenner PD Chief Keith Conley said, "This one hurts."
He went on to say, "He was the perfect police officer."
"He never said a bad word about anybody, even when people tried to get under his skin... He had a great personality, a great sense of humor, and touched about everybody on this department, and other departments."
Chief Conley says the 44-year-old was on the way to help bring justice to one family when his life was cut short. "He was heading to testify in a first-degree murder case in Gretna... At about 2:40 he indicated he was passing the Smoothie King Center, and a witness saw him pull to the shoulder of the road and roll to a stop and that was a Gretna Police Officer and they knew something was wrong."
Chief Conley says even in Sgt. Foltz's last moments he continued to dedicate himself to protecting others, saying, "He probably saved several lives by just getting off the highway."
A cardiac-related medical emergency snatched him away. Sgt. Foltz was an investigator for years but was promoted to patrol Sgt. just a few months ago. During his time as an investigator, he worked the toughest, of tough cases, crimes involving children.
Erika Dupepe with the Jefferson Children's Advocacy Center worked closely with Sgt. Foltz, she said, "Pete was definitely one of a kind."
She went on to say, "It wasn't just a job for him, it was a calling, he genuinely cared. It wasn't just a stack of cases, each child had a name, each parent he knew by name."
She says she still remembers the first day he walked through her office doors, saying, "He just had this exuberance and this lightness about him."
Sgt. Peter Foltz never forgot the people he fought for. Chief Conley said, "We're getting calls from victims and witnesses on cases he handled years ago, where he made such an impression."
While His work may now be done, those who knew him will carry his memory with them, forever. Dupepe said, "The world was a better place with Pete Foltz in it."
Sgt. Foltz would've turned 45 next month.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.