L-R are Eutaw Mayor Raymond Steele, Coleman and his wife Gertha Smith-Coleman.

The family of newly appointed Eutaw Police Chief, Derick Alonzo Coleman, sponsored a Ceremonial Tribute in his honor Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 at the Eutaw Activity Center. Coleman has been a member of the Eutaw Police Department since 2007 and was appointed chief on June 28, 2011.

“We wanted his family and community to know how much we love and appreciate him,” stated Coleman’s mother, Mrs. Mary Harris-Graves. She noted the family members who traveled from various states to share in this special event.

In his tribute as a father, Jesse Coleman, Jr., praised his son for coming back home to share his gifts. “Derick has always been a kind and fair person. He has always tried to do the right thing and counted on his Christian Faith to see him through. When Derick applied for his position with the Eutaw police force, he was very calm during the entire process.  I was the one very nervous,” he said. 

Chief Coleman’s wife of 23 years, Mrs. Gertha Smith-Coleman, brought a welcome and shared the relevance of this occasion to the community.  “Derick brought his family back home because he knew this is where we should be at this time. He wanted to contribute to building a safe home community for everyone,” she stated.

See Coleman is the father of three children – Jasmine, 21; Alexus, 16 and Derick Jr., 13.

See Coleman, pl.

SeeTwo of his children were also present.  Derick Coleman, Jr. honored his father in song, and teenage daughter, Alexus, shared caring words of their family bond.  “ My sister, Jasmine, and I didn’t feel moving to Greene County from Memphis was really what we wanted to do at the time, but we have worked it out and settled in,” she commented.

Eutaw Mayor, Raymond Steele, conducted a ceremonial swearing-in and presented Chief Coleman with a plaque honoring him in his new position.

Other family members and friends brought salutes to Derick as a brother, a cousin, a student, and a co-worker. The Voices of Honor of Sumter County honored the assembly in song.

In his comments, Coleman assured everyone that he will be vigilant, fair and caring.  He said he will follow two codes of law, the Bible and the Code of Alabama. “If your actions don’t follow one of these, then they are not right,” he emphasized. He stated that attitude is the main thing each of us has control of, “The only thing we  can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you – we are in charge of our attitudes,”  he said.

Chief Coleman is a 1987 graduate of Paramount High School, attended ITT Tech and served with the Memphis Police Department for over 10 years