Pinterest Montrell JacksonPA/BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT The last few months have been difficult for the relatives of fallen Baton Rouge police officer Montrell L. Jackson — one of the three officers killed on July 17 when a lone gunman with an assault rifle opened fire in a ambush shooting that wounded three other officers. But the veteran cop’s uncle, Charles Cavalier, tells PEOPLE that Christmas may end up being “the hardest thing we have ever had to deal with as a family.” That’s because Jackson would have turned 33 on Dec. 23, says Cavalier. “This is gonna be one of the hardest times for us, because, of course, this will be our first Christmas without him,” Cavalier starts. “But his birthday is coming up, too. For the last 30 years or so, we’ve celebrated his birthday and Christmas together, since they were both just two days apart. We’d all go out and get dinner, have some laughs … it is going to be tough, but we are hanging in.” Jackson was gunned down along with East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy Brad Garafola, who was 45, and 41-year-old Baton Rouge Police Department Officer Matthew Gerald. Police killed the assailant after a brief exchange of gunfire. The three officers were ambushed as they responded to reports of an armed man who had been seen walking down a Baton Rouge street. The ambush followed several police-involved shootings, which sparked protests all across the nation. • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Days before his death, and on the day five officers in Dallas were killed in a sniper attack, Jackson took to Facebook, sharing an emotional post about the stress he was feeling as a black officer and the trepidation he faced from the community he served so faithfully. “I’m tired physically and emotionally,” Jackson, who had just become a father weeks before, wrote on Facebook on July 8. “I swear to God I love this city, but I wonder if this city loves me. In uniform, I get nasty hateful looks, and out of uniform some consider me a threat. I’ve experienced so much in my short life and these last 3 days have tested me to the core. “This city MUST and WILL get better,” he continued. “I’m working in these streets so any protesters, officers, friends, family or whoever, if you see me and need a hug or want to say a prayer, I got you.” • Pick up PEOPLE’s special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBenét Ramsey and more. Jackson was married and had recently welcomed a son, who Cavalier says turned 9 months old on Dec. 17. Already, the child is exhibiting Jackson’s characteristics. “I’ve just been watching him grow and I can see Montrell in him,” Cavalier tells PEOPLE. “He’s pretty […]
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