• Home • Biography • Journal • Memory Book • Obituary • Photo Gallery • Video Gallery •

Biography

... Even though he came into this world so tiny, he would later go on to become a huge hero not only to his family and friends but also the community. 
At the age of 5, he underwent open heart surgery for a ventricular septal defect.  Just a few years following, at the age of 7, Lance would survive the trauma of being hit by a car.  He proved to be a strong and resilient child.   In 1991, when he was just 15, he entered a burning neighborhood home and extinguished the fire.  For his actions, the American Legion honored him with an Outstanding Heroism Medal and the VFW awarded him a plaque inscribed with “In Recognition of Unselfish Heroic Actions Involving Great Risk of Your Life”.
Read More...

Journal

'Hometown Hero' commits suicide
(Mobile Press Register Article)
A former Prichard police officer who was wounded in a notorious 2001 ambush of his patrol car took his own life Sunday at his home in Mobile.
Investigators say 31-year-old Lance LaPorte had been involved in a domestic argument earlier that day.
LaPorte made headlines in the fall of 2001 when he and two other officers responded to a bogus report of shots fired near a Prichard apartment complex only to be caught in a hail of bullets laid down by gunmen who had been lying in wait. 
Read More...

Obituary

The Truthful Obituary
Joel Lance LaPorte a 31 year-old native and resident of Mobile passed away on Sunday, January 20, 2008...In 2001, Lance was recognized as a "Hometown Hero" for his bravery when he and two other officers responded to a bogus report of shots fired near a Prichard apartment complex only to be caught in a hail of bullets laid down by gunmen who had been lying in wait. In this action, Lance was awarded the Law Enforcement Purple Heart for wounds received in the line of duty, the Police Combat Cross, and Outstanding Commendation Medal from the American Police Hall of Fame. 
Read More...