Going Above and Beyond – New Bedford Police Officer Willie Coates Serving His Country

New Bedford Police Officer Willie Coates is once again serving his country overseas in a combat zone. Officer Coates who is a Captain in the Army National Guard previously spent a year in Iraq where he was wounded when a convoy he was riding in ran over an IED (Improvised Explosive Device).

He is now serving another year, this time in Afghanistan. His unit, the Maneuver Enhancement Brigade left the states February 12, 2011. Officer Coates, when not protecting our freedom overseas, is a School Resource Officer at New Bedford High School.