LAFAYETTE, La. ( KLFY ) – Former Lafayette Parish Sheriff and Lafayette City Marshal Donald J. Breaux , 87, died Wednesday morning.
According to family, Breaux died peacefully at 10:45, Wednesday morning surrounded by his family.
Breaux began his career in law enforcement with the Lafayette Police Department , before joining Louisiana State Police in 1962. As a Trooper with State Police, Breaux eventually served as lieutenant with the LSP Intelligence Section and ultimately as commander of the LSP Regional Narcotics Division. He retired from state police in 1980.
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In 1981, he succeeded Dallas Broussard as Lafayette City Marshal . Breaux then ran for Lafayette Parish Sheriff and was elected in 1983 while holding the position until his retirement in 2000.
Outside of his career in law enforcement, Sheriff Breaux served as past-president and member of the Louisiana State Troopers Association and was chairman of the National Sheriffs’ Drug Enforcement Commission for the National Sheriffs’ Association. He received awards from the Boy Scouts and The American Legion. In 2015, he was inducted into The Acadian Museum in Erath as one of Acadiana’s Living Legends.