Beyond the Badge was founded in 2016 by Baton Rouge resident Linda Hull to recognize law enforcement officers in her community who perform acts of kindness beyond that required by their oaths of service. At a time when there has been so much negative attention directed toward law enforcement in general, Linda’s original vision has evolved into an effort to shine the light on the good done by Louisiana’s law enforcement officers.
Corporal Michael Middlebrook is nominated for his ongoing contributions to the community he patrols. Cpl. Middlebrook has established a relationship with a local convenience store in Lafayette. He collects newly expired food items from the store. These are items that must be pulled from the store’s shelves and which would typically just be discarded. Cpl. Middlebrook takes these food items and redistributes them to homeless and less fortunate citizens including children in his patrol precinct. In addition to his food collection, Cpl. Middlebrook also collects clothing in his off time and delivers it to those same people during the course of his patrol shifts. Cpl. Middlebrook’s compassion and ability to see a need and fill it truly stands out.