A thirteen year veteran of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Department, Deputy Nelson Coleman, 70, suffered a heart attack on November 5, 1982. While attempting to subdue a suspect wanted on a felony warrant the deputy and suspect became embroiled in a scuffle. During the struggle, Deputy Coleman experienced severe chest pain and died.
His wife and three children survived Deputy Coleman. His memory is honored at the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on panel 44W-18. In 2001, Sheriff Greg Champagne further honored Deputy Coleman, naming the parish's state-of-the-art correctional center in his memory: Nelson Coleman St. Charles Parish Correctional Center.