The Good Stuff: Halftime hero

LOGANSPORT, La. (KSLA) - Law enforcement officers are used to getting calls for help during an emergency.

DeSoto Parish Sgt. Kevin Coleman just didn’t expect it to come on his personal cell phone right before halftime of a high school football game.

“I was simply here to work a game,” said Coleman, who was assigned to work security for Logansport High School’s homecoming game.

Before being promoted to Sergeant, Coleman became the school resource officer at Logansport schools.

“In that little bit of time, you watch them mature,” Coleman said.

He knew many of the students who were at that October 30 game against Block High School, including a number of the girls on the homecoming court.

“I felt pretty good that my class picked me to represent them,” bragged 16-year-old A’ladrian Williams who was selected to the court along with her friend, Skyler Jones.

But as time began running out in the first half of the game, A’ladrian noticed Skyler was upset while talking on the phone.

And she was.

“She said, ‘Skyler, are you OK? What do you need?’,” Skyler admitted.

Skyler had just been delivered some unexpected news from her brother who was slated to be her escort for the halftime ceremony.

“I’m sorry sis,” Skyler remembered her brother saying followed by he was at the hospital and wasn’t feeling well.

It turned out not to be a serious health issue, but it left Skyler in a serious predicament. She had no escort for homecoming.

“It’s going to be OK,” A’ladrian immediately said.

Seconds later Sgt. Coleman’s phone began ringing.

“A’ladrian called me, ‘Mr. Coleman, Mr. Coleman',” laughed Sgt. Coleman.

He said the first thing she asked was if he had a suit in his truck.

“And I’m like, why would I have a suit in my truck," responded Coleman who quickly made his way to the football field.

A’ladrian asked if he could escort Skyler and he didn’t hesitate to come to the rescue.

“I thought it was an honor to have a police officer to walk me,” Skyler said, smiling.

And that simple walk across midfield meant more to her than anyone in the stadium likely realized that night.

While many others on homecoming court had their fathers walking by their side, that is something Skyler will never be able to experience.

“My father died of cancer when I was 5 years old,” Skyler shared.

But she’s confident her father, Philander Jones, made sure the right guy was in the right spot on just the right night for his daughter.

“That was all the power of God," she said. "My father was looking over me right there. My guardian angel helped me out.”

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