Former Rare Staff
The grieving widow of a fallen Alabama police officer shared heartbreaking footage taken hours before her husband was killed in the line of duty, which shows their toddler son sending him “goodnight kisses.”
Videos by Rare
In the video, Erin Billa can be seen holding her 1-year-old son Taylor in her arms as the little boy blows kisses at the camera and says, “Goodnight Dadda.” Just a few hours later, Billa’s husband Justin responded to a call that changed his family’s life forever as he was killed protecting his community after a murder suspect barricaded himself in his home. He had just joined the force in 2016 and won the Mobile Police Department’s “Officer of the Month” that June.
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Along with the video, his widow provided a heartfelt message about her late husband:
Justin was an amazing husband, father and officer. He was truly my best friend in this world. There wasn’t a day that we didn’t kiss each other goodbye and told each other we loved each other before either of us left. He was the best daddy to Taylor and my heart hurts that Taylor won’t get to grow up with his daddy. But I will make sure that he knows exactly the hero, father and husband that Justin was. Justin loved his job so very much. He was my hero long before he became an officer but now he is truly a hero to everyone. Justin and I actually have known each other since we were 5 and the day I saw him I thought man what a cutie. He lived in Louisiana but moved back here and we instantly connected. I knew after a few months he was the one I was going to marry. We had so many plans for the future and my heart breaks that we won’t be able to do them together now. I am going live my life honoring and respecting him because he was my soul mate. I don’t even know if this message makes sense or not and I have so much more to say but I don’t even know where to begin.
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