Not long after I started at The Era-Leader, in the early 1990’s, I went out to a wreck on the Pine Highway to get a photo.
Richard Newman was the responding state trooper. As I shot my photo I heard a loud “hey!”
It was Richard. He came over to me and asked, “Do you mind letting me get my hat and then take the picture again?”
We both laughed, but he explained that “Baton Rouge” was serious about troopers being in proper uniform in public while on duty......including the Smokey the Bear hat. He didn’t need to be in the newspaper without his hat on.
He went to his patrol car, got his hat, carefully put it on, and then checked his reflection on the window. Now that he was properly uniformed, I re-shot the photo.
But for a long time I kidded him about being a fashion plate for ”Baton Rouge.” He always laughed. No problem.
Another time, I saw a perfect example of Richard’s humor and patience.
He was in his private car, off duty. He pulled up to the old Franklinton Post Office on Main Street and parked in front of the building and went in real fast, I guess to get his mail.
He probably wasn’t inside more than 30 or 45 seconds but when he returned and jumped into his car, this older man tapped on his window and irritably said he was in a no-parking zone.
The guy was totally a private citizen, not a cop, and I didn’t really understand what the big deal was, or why he had suddenly decided to become the parking police.
But Richard was cool. He said something like, “Oops, sorry about that,” and started to drive away.
The irritable man wasn’t satisfied with Richard’s response and he whipped out a little pad and started to write down Richard’s license plate number.
Richard stopped his car and sat there politely, very patient, and when the man finished, Richard leaned out the window, acting concerned, and said, “Got it? Finished?” And then he finally drove off with a friendly wave at the man.
Later, I asked him, “Have you been indicted by the grand jury yet for your serious parking violation?”
Richard just laughed and rolled his eyes.
Richard Newman obituary: www.era-leader.com/obituaries
