LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Behind the uniforms and the badges are men and women defined more than just their title of "police."
"Of course all policemen, they're not policemen when they go home," Ozzy Gibson, the executive director of Louisville Metro Animal Services and a former LMPD officer, said. "They're dads, they're moms, they could be grandparents, uncles. They coach. They do a lot of stuff."
Detective Deidre Mengedoht was no different. The mother and seven-year LMPD veteran was killed Monday when an MSD employee drove his MSD semi-truck into her cruiser. Gibson said Mengedoht was also known for her passion for animals and would often lend her time helping Animal Services.
"She was always monitoring and trying to look out for Metro Animal Services, and obviously that was one of her passions," he said.
According to Gibson, LMAS will sometimes ask LMPD officers for help when it comes to certain tasks that animal control officers are not able to do on their own because they do not have police powers, like running a license plate or entering a building with a warrant. Mengedoht, Gibson said, was often one of the first to volunteer.
"There are several of them that just take that extra step to make sure that if there's something we need to help our investigation or take care of an animal, they were there, and she was one of them," he said.
Thursday evening, despite the downpour outside, many police officers paid their respects to Mengedoht at LMPD 2nd Division, where she worked. LMPD has a patrol car draped with a black ribbon to remember the detective. It will remain there through her funeral.
