Derrick James Kowalski was born in Lakeland Medical Center, New Orleans, on Augusts 1st, 1979. His father, Peter John Kowalski, was a New Orleans police officer. His mother, Debra Ann Kowalski, was a nurse at Lakeland. His early childhood was average to say the least. His mother and father were home as much as they could, however Derrick spent most of his time at the homes of friends and neighbors. In school he was extremely interested in sports including backyard football and baseball.
During high school Derrick held somewhat below average grades. He continued to actively participate in sports, most importantly football. He also maintained a large group of friends, with whom he spent a lot of time. During this era Kowalski partied a bit excessively with his friends, which may have led to his low performance in school. At Franklin High Derrick fell in love with a girl named Alice Lincoln. The two dated throughout high school and beyond.
With little to no financial backing Derrick could not participate in college, instead went to work in the trades. For nearly three years he pressed on as a laborer, moving from job to job with little complaint. Around this time he married Alice Lincoln in a small ceremony in the neighborhood from which they both grew up. To add to his abundance in blessings, in late 1999 Alice told him that she was pregnant with their first child. Knowing that he could not afford to raise a family on laborers wages Kowalski turned to a job he knew could support them.
In 2000 Derrick passed the requirements to join the New Orleans Police Department. He quickly moved through the academy excelling in some areas and surviving in others, such as law and standard procedure. However within in six months Kowalski graduated the academy only days before his daughter, Elizabeth Ann Kowalski was born.
Officer Derrick Kowalski was assigned to The New Orleans Police Department Fifth District. For the next four years Derrick worked the streets. He found employment as a police officer more than agreeable and enjoyed his nights and days with the department. He and his partner, Officer William Brown, made a record number arrests for the Fifth District on Kowalski’s third year. He also signed up for numerous voluntary operations, especially those involving illegal firearms. For a short time he was assigned to his District’s undercover unit in a buy operation for multiple handguns, which turned to be an enormous success. When Hurricane Katrina hit Derrick decided to remain with the force. He, along with many of his fellow officers, endured the hardships of the flooded war-zone. Derrick joined many makeshift rescue units and tactical patrols working around the clock to exhaustion. Tragedy struck another stinging blow when his daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with terminal childhood cancer.
Kowalski toned down his police activities as much as possible in order to deal with his sick child and now despondent wife. For the next 3 months they watched their daughter quickly slip away until she passed on November 5th, 2005. Alice never really recovered from the loss of their child, and remained extremely depressed, Derrick found his escape at the bottom of a bottle. Attempting a vein act of strength he felt a change of scenery might help his wife and he forget the pain they were going through and put in a transfer to the Sierra Falls Police Department in California. As Kowalski and Alice waited for confirmation of his transfer their relationship continued to decline largely do to his drinking. The day before they were to move to Sierra Falls Alice left Derrick, leaving him only divorce papers to sign.
After joining the Sierra Falls Police department in late January, Derrick fell into a deep depression. Still he continued attempting to find peace at the bottom of a bottle, sometimes using painkillers to amplify the effects. After a brutal attack during a domestic call, the department discovered Kowalski had been drinking heavily while on duty. Through the recommendation of Dr. Carmichael, Derrick was sent to the Hart Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Clinic. For a month he was confined in the small area, forced to face his memories, which turned him into a more aggressive person, hiding the pain beneath the newfound rage. When he left the clinic Derrick fell back into his old habits of drinking and drug abuse, until he met Jessica Clarkson, the woman who brought sunlight into his desolate life.
With his alcoholism under some control Kowalski continued back out on the streets. Life was going well until Derrick found himself caught up in a controversial situation. While attempting to arrest a sniper suspect who had been terrorizing Sierra Falls SWAT Lieutenant McDowall ordered Kowalski and two other officers to hold their position and not to attempt to apprehend the suspect. Ignoring the order the three continued into the building and arrested the sniper without incident. In the fallout of the capture Kowalski was given a two-month suspension for insubordination.
Struggling to pay the bills for he and Jessica, Derrick found work as a security guard for numerous clubs. While working at the Blah Bar Kowalski turned to drinking again as a way to alleviate the humiliation and disgrace of working as a door man. However after he prevented a shooting at the club, the sight of his fellow officers pushed him over the edge. The total collapse of his life was only prevented by the action of Sergeant Marian Wright, an IAD officer who had twice investigated Kowalski and understood his situation better than others. She arrived at the club confronting Derrick about his drinking and the reason behind them. There he confided in her, confessing the memory of the death of his daughter and his attempt at suicide during the domestic that hospitalized him before. Immediately Wright called Dr. Carmichael, getting Kowalski help as soon as possible.
For the rest of his suspension Derrick worked with Carmichael, helping to overcome his painful memories, while continuing to work at bars and clubs. After his two-month suspension ended the doctor suggested the Kowalski remain off street patrol for some time. Sergeant Wright assisted Derrick in obtaining a position as a patrol officer attached to the Criminal Investigations Bureau. The job allowed him to remain active but kept him from the direct conflicts of the streets.
His beginnings in the bureau were troubled at best. Derrick believed himself to be the uneducated black sheep of the unit. However, he increasingly became accustomed to the group, finding new friendships and purpose. Under the guidance of Sergeant Nicola Murphy-Steele, Kowalski grew as an officer.
He received the Medal of Courage for his actions during the shootout in the Blah Bar. For the moment Kowalski was happy as the administrative officer of CIDB. However crises followed.
Jessica's ex-pimp raped her. She tried her best to keep the incident a secret, worried of what Derrick might do. Still she felt a need to find resolution from the attack, Jessica turned to some she could trust, someone Kowalski trusted, Sergeant Murphy-Steele. She gave her statement to the detective, who promised to keep the secret. However, Derrick found out. While filing paper work in the bureau, he stumbled across Jessica's report. Words could not express the rage. What followed was a race against time. Kowalski furiously tracked down the pimp, while Steele, discovering that he knew, set out to stop him. The two collided at Lysander Honnell's, the rapist, apartment. Derrick already had the man at gunpoint, ready to the pull the trigger. Steele began talking to him, convincing him to ease down, informing him Jessica was pregnant, that he had a chance to be a father again. After a moment of hesitation, Kowalski released the weapon.
Pain and cover up began. Derrick refused to go home, unable to look Jessica in the eye, unable to conquer the fear of being a father again. While he stayed far from the incident, Steele was able to cover up the attack and bring Honnell to justice. As far as he knew, it was over. Kowalski continued to live in his truck, working as if he were a ghost, far from reality. Finally after weeks, he gained the courage to go back home, to retake his life.
For the couple of months Kowalski worked in CIDB, staying with Jessica and living a normal life. He was ultimately cleared to go back to the streets on patrol. There he worked without incident, taking off when his second child, Samantha Jean Clarkson-Kowalski was born. It was one of the happiest days of his life, a day to remember, and a day to cherish. With life settling in, Kowalski released the need for improvement, a home, a car for Jessica, and the possibility of college. An answer was in the wings. The Sierra Falls Police Department Street Crime Team was hiring, an opportunity for overtime and adventure. After a difficult interview with Lieutenant Riker, Kowalski was given a six-month probationary period, and the chance to make a career in investigations.
During the probation he worked hard. Studying under the detectives, training with the team, and staying out of trouble. With the money from Kowalski's new position and his final divorce settlement, they bought a new home in Westbrook. Now Derrick works on the Street Crime Team as a full member, his family and friends behind him.
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