ALEXANDRIA, La. (UrbanCast: 8/30/2026) — Former Alexandria Police Chief Daren Elise Coutee has died at 82, leaving a legacy spanning public service, law enforcement and education.
Coutee died Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at his Pineville residence, according to Miller & Hill, “The Funeral Directors.”
His career reached a historic milestone when he became Alexandria’s first African American police chief. However, those who knew Coutee say his legacy extended far beyond that distinction.
Coutee served as chief from January 23, 2004, until January 24, 2010.
He began his career with the Alexandria Police Department in March 1969. Decades later, he became the department’s first African American police chief.
Coutee worked as a patrol officer before moving into investigations. He spent approximately 13 years in APD’s Detective Division.
His responsibilities included supervisory assignments involving narcotics, homicide, burglary and theft investigations.
Former APD Chief Jerrod King remembered Coutee as both a trailblazer and a forward-thinking police leader.
“Chief Coutee was not only a trailblazer” as Alexandria’s first African American chief, King said. He noted that Coutee also recognized the importance of new technology.
According to King, Coutee helped secure funding for APD’s first large-scale deployment of Tasers. That effort also supported Crisis Intervention Teams across Central Louisiana.
King said Coutee understood the importance of proactive policing. However, he also recognized how enforcement could create divisions within neighborhoods.
King credited Coutee’s ability to build meaningful community relationships with helping APD navigate those challenges.
Beyond his leadership, King remembered the man behind the badge.
“Chief Coutee was a genuinely kind man,” King said.
King recalled Coutee making an effort to speak with officers and ask about their lives.
“I felt he had a real concern for you as a person and not just as an officer,” King said.
A Leader Who Taught Other Leaders
Coutee’s influence reached beyond his time leading APD.
Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood first encountered Coutee while attending the Alexandria Police Academy.
“He was a good man no doubt and well liked,” Wood said. “When I went through the APD academy, he was one of the instructors.”
Wood also recalled Coutee’s long influence on law enforcement across Central Louisiana.
“He definitely made a difference in Central La.,” Wood said.
Wood added that Sheriff Hilton had spoken with him about working alongside Coutee earlier in their law enforcement careers.
“He will be missed,” Wood said.
Judge Loren Lampert of the 9th Judicial District Court also served as Alexandria police chief. He described Coutee as a mentor, friend and servant leader.
“Chief Coutee was a true servant leader,” Lampert said. He remembered Coutee’s dedication to “his faith, family, community, and profession.”
Lampert said he worked with Coutee in several capacities and learned from his leadership.
“Like many others, I benefited from his vision, wisdom, and friendship,” Lampert said.
“We are all better because of his willingness to serve and he will be missed.”
Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell described Coutee as an important figure in Louisiana law enforcement.
“Chief Darren Coutee was an icon of Louisiana Law Enforcement,” Terrell said.
“He was a special friend to me, my family, and all the citizens of Alexandria and Rapides Parish.”
A Lifetime of Public Service
Coutee’s service began years before his law enforcement career.
He served in the United States Navy from 1961 until 1968.
His duties included machinist work and supervising engine room operations and repairs aboard a Navy destroyer.
After his work with APD, Coutee remained involved in the criminal justice system.
He worked as an investigator in criminal defense matters. He also served as an investigator for criminal prosecution with the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Additionally, Coutee shared his experience with future law enforcement professionals.
He taught in Louisiana College’s Law Enforcement Program and served as an instructor at the Alexandria Police Academy.
Coutee graduated from Peabody High School in 1962.
He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement from Louisiana College.
Coutee continued his education at Northeast Louisiana University. There, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.
His professional development also included studies at LSU’s Traffic Management Institute. In 1982, he graduated from the FBI Academy.
His journey ultimately placed him in a significant chapter of Alexandria history.
Yet, the reflections from those who knew him reveal something broader.
They remember a trailblazer and teacher. They remember a leader who embraced innovation and understood the importance of community relationships.
Most importantly, they remember the man.
Funeral Arrangements
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Friday, September 4, at 11 a.m.
The service will be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 423 Highway 495 in Cloutierville.
Public viewing and visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Burial will immediately follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the American Parkinson Disease Association.
Contributions may also be made to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville.
The family also named Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 2063 John H. King Service Road in Pineville.
Coutee leaves his children, grandchildren, extended family members, former colleagues and friends to cherish his memory.
Alexandria also says goodbye to a man whose service became part of the city’s history.
Daren Coutee broke a barrier when he became APD’s first African American police chief.
However, those who worked with him say his lasting legacy cannot be measured by a title alone.
It lives in the officers he taught, the relationships he built and the community he served.
Sources: Miller & Hill, “The Funeral Directors”; Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood; Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell; former Alexandria Police Chief Jerrod King; 9th JDC Judge and former Alexandria Police Chief Loren Lampert.
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