DENHAM SPRINGS - The wife of slain Baton Rouge Police Officer Matt Gerald broke her silence in an emotional Facebook post overnight.

"I'm drawing my strength from all the love surrounding me from all directions," Dechia Badeaux Gerald posted on the social media site early Tuesday morning. The post began, "My heart is heavy. I feel a range of emotion. It wasn't supposed to be this way!! I'm navigating our ship the best way I know how. No worries babe, BRPD, our community, family, friends, thin blue line family, and military family has our 6."

Gerald, his co-worker on the force Montrell Jackson, and sheriff's deputy Brad Garafola were murdered when they were ambushed by a man with an arsenal of weapons on Airline Highway near I-12 Sunday morning. Officials have called the three men heroes for putting their lives at risk to stop a man on a mission to kill law enforcement officers. Three other officers - two sheriff's deputies and a Baton Rouge Police officer - were shot and injured before a SWAT officer shot and killed gunman Gavin Long with a 100 yard kill shot.

Gerald's family established a GoFund Me account.  A similar account was established for Officer Jackson and one of the surviving, injured deputies, Nick Tullier. 

     > Read more about Officer Jackson HERE; Read more about community response to the attack HERE

Family members said Gerald was a Marine and did three tours in Iraq. As a Black Hawk Crew Chief, he flew more than 1,000 combat hours.

The Geralds have two daughters.

His wife called him her blue-eyed rock.

"Until we meet again, Matthew Gerald, RIP, babe."

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