Gerald Washington

Gerald "Wash" Washington (c. 1949 – December 30, 2006) was a local politician and elected in 2006 as the first black mayor of Westlake, Louisiana, in the southwest part of the state. Having served three terms on the city council, he died of a single gunshot wound on December 30, 2006. He was scheduled to take office on January 2, 2007. The Calcasieu Parish coroner ruled that his death was a suicide, which the family rejected. A state police investigation also concluded he had committed suicide. 2Biography Washington was a well-known and popular local political figure, having been elected and served three terms on the city council. He was a veteran of Vietnam and had a career with Conoco, retiring as a refinery supervisor.Elected in the fall of 2006 as the first black mayor in the city's history, Washington was scheduled to take office on January 2, 2007. The city is majority white, and more than 80% of those who voted for him were white.He was found dead at a school parking lot of a gunshot wound to the chest. His gun was found near his truc