The family of a Windsor police officer is mourning the loss of their beloved son, nephew, grandson and father, 31-year-old Louis Clayton.
Clayton wore the badge for three years and was a U.S. Army veteran. He died while he was off duty on Nov. 8.
“Just right now, the family and friends and all of his coworkers, we are just grieving,” Clayton’s uncle Kwanza Clayton said.
Clayton was called ‘The Kidd’ by many, which was a nod to his middle name and his personality.
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“Lui 'The Kidd,' that’s just the character he was. That’s just the character my nephew was,” Kwanza Clayton said. “He just brought laughs and smiles to everyone and to family and friends, and everything throughout his life.”
Clayton leaves behind two young daughters, a long-time girlfriend, parents, grandparents and several other family members. During his free time, Clayton enjoyed working on cars.
“He liked to build cars, and fix things. I was just on the phone with his father today and his father was just saying how when he had issues with the car, he would go get parts, they would put the stuff together,” Kwanza Clayton said.
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After serving in the U.S. Army, Clayton became a Windsor police officer in 2021. Windsor Police Captain Andrew Power said in a statement:
“Officer Clayton served with dedication and honor, and this loss has profoundly affected our department and community.”
Outside of the police department, a memorial is growing on top of a cruiser and there is bunting on the building.
Clayton’s uncle, who is a long-time East Hartford police officer, said he will miss talking to his nephew about the job.
“It is upsetting to see him not here. He would call me a lot at work, he would always just refer to me as uncle, uncle,” Kwanza Clayton said. “I was very, very excited that there was another Clayton in the family to be a police officer.”
Kwanza Clayton wants to raise awareness about suicide prevention.
“Talk about it, if you don’t want to talk to someone who is personal or family, talk to a stranger, pick up the phone and just call someone,” Kwanza Clayton said.
The Windsor Police Department is offering resources and support to police officers. Clayton’s family said services will be on Nov. 23 at Carmon Community Funeral Homes in Bloomfield.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
