Scholarship fund established in slain officer’s name for Tuscaloosa, Pickens County students

High school students in Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties may find some funding for college thanks to a new scholarship fund built in honor of slain Tuscaloosa Police Investigator Dornell Cousette.

The Dornell Cousette Scholarship Fund will support a student from Pickens County and another from Tuscaloosa County each year, and special consideration will be given to students with family members in law enforcement.

Cousette, who was killed in 2019, grew up in Aliceville. After serving in the U.S. Army, he began work at the Tuscaloosa Police Department in 2006.

“Investigator Cousette loved working with children,” said Sgt. Michael Chaisson, who worked with Cousette in TPD’s Juvenile Division. “Supporting the educational aspirations of deserving students is an excellent way to honor his memory.”

Student applicants must submit an essay about Cousette alongside a letter of recommendation from a current or retired law enforcement officer.

“Our hope is that this fund will still provide scholarships to deserving children long after all of us are gone,” Chaisson said.

The scholarship fund is administered through Lance Hocutt Financial Group. If you’re interested in donating to the fund, you can send contributions to: Lance Hocutt Financial Group, 1300 McFarland Blvd. NE, Suite 125, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 or via Venmo at @Cousette-fund.