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Montrell Jackson, one of three Baton Rouge police officers killed Sunday, had written about tensions he felt following the police killing of Alton Sterling earlier this month, using a Facebook post to tell his community, "Please don't let hate infect your heart."


That Facebook post has been shared widely in the 24 hours since 

Jackson and two other officers were slain

 outside a convenience store, with his words about integrity and love — including love for his city — forming a very public legacy.


U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch quoted Jackson in a speech Monday, highlighting his observation as a black police officer that "In uniform I get nasty, hateful looks — and out of uniform, some consider me a threat."

As Lynch noted, that wasn't all of Jackson's message: He also said, "These are trying times. Please don't let hate infect your heart."

Jackson's brother, Kedrick Pitts, spoke to NPR on Sunday and said that Jackson "loved his job, he worked his job seven days a week."


Jackson, 32, joined the police force in 2006; he came from a family that includes several members of police and sheriff's department forces, Pitts told 

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Also killed in the attack were BRPD Officer Matthew Gerald, 41, and Brad Garafola, 45, a deputy with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. Like Jackson, both men were married and had children: Gerald had two kids, according to 

, while Garafola had four, reports local newspaper 

Garafola died after he moved to provide assistance to the two fallen officers, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said Monday. "He died a hero," Gautreaux said. "They all did."

Jackson is survived by his wife and their 4-month-old baby.

"He just had his firstborn son. He always wanted to be a father," Pitts said. "I became a father before him, and when I had mine, he treated mine like his. And everyone wanted to see him be a father because that's the most important thing to him."

Asked what he would like the world to know about his brother, Pitts answered, "He would want the world to be a better place. Let's put an end to all this madness, and everybody come together."

, along with a photo of himself and his son. Here's more of that text, in case you haven't seen it:


Those words were published July 8, days after the shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge set off protests there. Pitts spoke about his brother's reaction to those events:

As for how Pitts feels, he says his brother was everything to him. Here's more of what he told NPR's Michel Martin on Sunday:

When Lynch quoted Jackson on Monday during her speech to members of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, she also echoed the slain officer's words:

Crime, Law and Justice

Montrell Jackson, one of three officers killed Sunday, had written about the tensions he felt, saying on Facebook, "Please don't let hate infect your heart." His brother says Jackson loved his job.

'Let's put an end to all this madness,' says brother of slain police officer

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