For Biloxi Police Maj. Larry Murphy, it was “just another Yeti sighting online,” but for a Meridian mom at Biloxi Mardi Gras with her young daughter, Murphy’s actions during the Krewe of Neptune parade brought tears to her eyes.
Murphy, a towering veteran of the Biloxi Police Department (he stands 6-6 at 325 pounds), was working a post along the Neptune route Saturday evening when he was approached by the mom and her daughter, saying they needed to cross the street as the busy parade was passing by.
Murphy’s response prompted Angelia Partridge of Meridian to post a detailed recounting of the incident, with a photo of Murphy – he says he’s “5-foot-18 inches” – towering over the 3-foot-8, 38-pound blonde-haired youngster named Kinsley. She was wearing a tiera since, come to find out, she’s actually “Our Little Miss Mississippi’s Miss La Petite,” her mom says. The youngster is clutching Murphy’s hand as he guides her across the parade route, to the other side, where a host of other young queens awaits her arrival.
During his 29 years with the police department, and especially in recent years with the arrival of cell phones with cameras, Murphy has found himself photographed multiple times while working crowd control at major events in the city. In fact, some in the department have come to refer to the social media postings as “Yeti or Saskwach sightings.”
Murphy, however, admitted that he and other officers appreciate the impact of their actions and the lasting memories they create.
“Yea, we do,” he said. “Most of us do. You feel good. You’ve cast good upon the waters, and that’s what it’s all about. You have an innocent young lady there, wearing a tiera. She’s going to grow up now and not be afraid of police and do the right thing.”
Facebook: See the Meridian post
Mardi Gras news & notes: The Krewe of Cleanup; photos; Gallo show
Krewe of Cleanup video vignette: Crews with the city’s Public Works and Parks & Recreation departments this morning began the post-Mardi Gras cleanup in downtown Biloxi. To hear about the process in a brief video, click here.
Mardi Gras gallery, No. 1: Police say the Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade attracted between 50,000 and 80,000 paradegoers on Tuesday, and the numbers were off slightly from last year because of this year’s chilly temperatures, they said. To see images from the pre-parade entertainment at City Hall and from the parade itself, courtesy of photographer August Taconi, click here.
Mard Gras gallery, No. 2: To see more images of the Gulf Carnival Association parade as it passed by City Hall, click here.
The Gallo Radio Show: Popular broadcaster Paul Gallo told his Mardi Gras morning audience about Biloxi’s Mardi Gras celebration – and other things Biloxi – in a conversation with the city’s Public Affairs Manager. To hear what the statewide Supertalk audience heard Tuesday morning, click here.
