Tuscaloosa To Name Street For TPD Officer Killed In Line Of Duty

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — The Tuscaloosa City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted in favor of renaming a stretch of 35th Street in memory of Tuscaloosa Police Officer Dornell Cousette, who was killed in the line of duty after exchanging gunfire with a suspect on Sept. 16, 2019.

The portion of the road that will be renamed runs from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Greensboro Avenue. Cousette, the father of two daughters and a fiancé, was a 13-year veteran of the Tuscaloosa Police Department.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley said in a statement that renaming the street is a perfect way to honor Cousette's memory and the ultimate sacrifice he made to keep his community safe.

"Once we move back to headquarters, this is the road most of our officers will use when they head home every night," he said. "Officer Cousette didn’t get to go home, but I think he’d be happy knowing that he’s on our minds every day that we get to. It’s not something we take for granted.”

The Council also approved the renaming of Trevor S. Phillips Avenue to Officer Trevor S. Phillips Avenue, to reflect the fallen officer's title. Phillips was killed in a May 2011 motorcycle accident while he was working as an escort for a funeral procession.

In 2012, the Council voted to change the name of a .41-mile segment of Mill Creek Avenue between Fifth Street and 39th Street to Trevor S. Phillips Avenue.