A portion of a heavily traveled highway through Fenton has been named in honor of a fallen police officer.

A one mile stretch of U.S. 165 between mile markers 10 and 11 will now be known as the Shannon Matthew Brown Sr. Memorial Highway.

Brown, 40, died after being run over by his own patrol vehicle after it was hit by another driver during a traffic stop in 2016. He had served with the Fenton Police Department for three years and had previously served with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for 10 years.

“It is an honor to be able to do this for the family,” State Rep. Troy Romero said. “The accident happened a long time ago and he was never recognized. This is the good part of my job helping the family honor their loved one who was killed in the line of duty.”

Members of Brown’s family and local law enforcement officers stood with Romero along the busy highway Saturday as Officer Chris James unveiled one of the two new highway signs bearing Brown’s name.

Sgt. Vernon O’Quinn, of the Fenton Police Department, said the highway dedication will forever memorialize Brown for his service and dedication to the police department and the community.

“This section of U.S. 165 will no longer be U.S.165 as of today,” O’Quinn proclaimed.  “It will now be considered the Shannon Matthew Brown Sr. Memorial Highway. To anyone who lives in this area this will be their address. U.S. 165 doesn’t exist anymore.”

O’Quinn said the Fenton Police Department is a family and a part of the community and Brown will always be remembered by those who knew and loved him.

“This day is probably the most important day we have had in honoring Shannon Brown because we are able to put the sign up and name the highway after him,” O’Quinn said. “This will always be his highway.”

Brown’s mother, Joann Brown, said renaming the highway was a great honor for her son who dedicated his life and service to the people of Fenton.

”I loved him as a mother, but there were so many others who loved him,” she said. “He was the kid who would give you the shirt off his back. That’s how I raised him.”

Romero presented Brown with a copy of the legislation dedicating the highway in her son’s honor.

“I think this celebrates who Shannon was,” his cousin Katrina Clarke said. “He really loved his family, friends and community. This will ensure his legacy will live on.”

Brown’s cousin Jimmy Guillory said he would be proud to see his family and friends gather to honor and remember him.

“I think he’d enjoy this because he loved his family and his community,” Guillory said. “If something was going on in the family, he was always there.”

Brown’s half-brother Andrey Crawford said he and Shannon often worked side by side doing the same jobs, including working in law enforcement.

“He’d be so happy about this,” Crawford said. “This would really make him happy.”

A community pavilion behind Fenton Elementary School was named in Brown’s honor several years ago and a sauce cook off held in his memory was started this year.