Tuscaloosa Police Posthumously Promote Officers Killed in Line of Duty

The Tuscaloosa Police Department posthumously promoted two of its fallen officers on Friday morning, elevating men who were killed in 2011 and 2019 to the rank of Sergeant.

It was one of the last actions by acting TPD Chief Severn "Sebo" Sanders, who will step down from his interim role this month after Mayor Walt Maddox appointed SWAT veteran Michael Baygents as the department’s next full-time leader.

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For his last set of promotions, Sanders gave posthumous recognition to Investigator Dornell Cousette, who was fatally shot in 2019, and Motorman Trevor Phillips, who died in a collision while performing a funeral escort in 2011.

"They were both the great officers who lost their lives in the line of duty," Sanders told media after the ceremony. "There were my last two promotions as acting chief, and I felt we needed to honor them, through their families, to become that next rank of sergeant."

Sanders said the practice is fairly common at other law enforcement agencies after an officer dies in the line of duty and said it was long overdue for Phillips and Cousette to get the same treatment.

"They were not just co-workers, they were friends. They were family. We all lean on each other when times are hard, and we all celebrate each other when we achieve a goal. They're family, and they are missed," Sanders said. "This is something that we should have done a while back. When you're talking about those two, it's very touching to the heart because I know their intentions. I know the work that they put in here at the Tuscaloosa Police Department, and I know the work that they put into the community. Everybody here who’s a police officer shares the same feelings about Trevor and Dornell."

Family members of both men were at TPD Headquarters on Friday morning to accept the honors as various leaders took turns sharing memories of the fallen officers.

"Both of these guys, they were always just in a great mood - I don't ever remember seeing them upset," Baygents said, who assumes the chief's office full-time later this month.  Because of our loss, our community is a little bit weaker. These men were heroes, and they were good friends, and I will forever miss them."

Watch a live-stream of the full ceremony below, and for more free coverage of hyperlocal news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.