Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating a shooting which occurred overnight in Thibodaux. There are no reported injuries stemming from the incident.
At around 11:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, deputies responded to Michelle Place in Thibodaux in reference to calls of gun shots heard in the area. Deputies responded and found a residence had been struck multiple times by rounds. Inside the residence, a woman and her two children were unharmed. Deputies located numerous spent shell casings outside the residence.
Detectives are asking for the public’s help to solve this crime. Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted using the P3 Tips app on your mobile device. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre has announced the winners of two local $500 scholarships. Ethan Naquin, a senior at E.D. White Catholic High School, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association Scholarship for Lafourche Parish. Additionally, Renee Rink, a part-time LPSO employee, has won the 2018 Norman Swanner Scholarship award. Both students plan to enroll in Nicholls State University this fall.
Naquin plans to complete an undergraduate degree in pre-medicine at Nicholls before attending medical school. After college, he hopes to become a neurosurgeon. Rink has attended Nicholls State University for the past four years and is currently enrolled in the nursing program. She plans to become a registered nurse. She has been employed part-time with LPSO as a communications equipment operator for nearly four years.
“Both Mr. Naquin and Ms. Rink are two outstanding young talents in our area,” said Sheriff Webre. They are both hard-working individuals chasing their dreams, and I am happy we can assist them in their endeavors. I have no doubt these two motivated students will achieve great things.”
Criteria for the scholarships are similar in that both require applicants to plan to enroll as a full-time student at Nicholls State University, L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College, or South Central Louisiana Technical Community College. The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association requires the applicant to be a graduating high school senior and permanent resident of Lafourche Parish. The Swanner Scholarship, which was first awarded in 2016, is only open to Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employees or their immediate family members, and current undergraduate college students are eligible in addition to graduating high school seniors. Both scholarships are awarded as gifts, not loans, to defray the rising costs of tuition and related expenses in higher education. An independent board of review selects the winner of each scholarship.
The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Educational Scholarship Program awards $500 to graduating high school students in parishes where the sheriffs are members of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary Membership Program. Funding for this scholarship is made possible through the generous support of Lafourche Parish’s Honorary Members. The goal of the program is to provide assistance to worthy Louisiana students in furthering their education and training with resources made available through the program.
The Norman Swanner Foundation is a non-profit organization created in memory of Norman Swanner, a Thibodaux resident who passed away on November 8, 2006. Swanner was a City Councilman at the time of his death. Swanner’s daughter, Jamie Beth Swanner, also passed away on December 24, 2012. The Foundation funds several awards and scholarships for students at Nicholls State University and several high schools throughout the region.
Lt. Brennan Matherne and Ethan NaquinNeal Swanner and Renee Rink
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a former Lafourche Parish resident facing charges of aggravated incest and sexual battery has been sentenced to at least 40 years in prison in Nebraska. William Patrick Gilliam, 45, of Duenweg, Missouri, was charged and sentenced in connection to an investigation by Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives.
As previously released, juvenile detectives began an investigation in May 2017 after receiving a complaint about a family member having been sexually abused by Gilliam over the course of several years. The initial incident occurred approximately six years ago in Raceland, where Gilliam resided at the time. Through investigation, detectives learned Gilliam had inappropriate sexual contact with the victim in Lafourche Parish and other jurisdictions, including Lancaster County in Nebraska. Detectives believe the juvenile is the sole victim of Gilliam’s abuse. Detectives obtained warrants for Gilliam’s arrest for Aggravated Incest and Sexual Battery (Forcible Fondling). In late May, detectives learned Gilliam was in custody in Jasper County in Missouri where he also faced additional charges.
On Monday, May 14, after pleading guilty to First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Lancaster County, Nebraska, Gilliam was sentenced to no less than 40 years in prison (and no more than 50 years) with a mandatory 15-year minimum.
He still faces the aforementioned charges in Missouri and Louisiana.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a traffic stop for a seat belt violation led investigators to discovery of a pound of marijuana, cocaine and over $2,000 in cash. Ronald Johnson, 31, of Labadieville was charged in the incident, and he was found to be a fugitive of Assumption Parish as well.
At around 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, narcotics agents conducted a traffic stop on Talbot Avenue in Thibodaux due to a seat belt violation. Agents identified the driver as Ronald Johnson and found him to have a suspended license, as well as active warrants for Assumption Parish and the City of Thibodaux. Johnson was immediately taken into custody. Agents also detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A K-9 deputy responded to the scene and alerted to the possible presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, agents recovered a large sealed bag containing approximately one pound of suspected marijuana, as well as a small bag of marijuana, and a marijuana cigar. They also discovered approximately 64 grams of suspected cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and $2,113 in cash.
Johnson was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Cocaine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and no seat belt. His bond on the Lafourche Parish charges is set at $21,025. Per the contempt warrant for the City of Thibodaux, he has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail for failure to appear in court for driving under suspension. He is also being held for Assumption Parish for charges including Obstruction of Justice, Hit and Run Driving, and violation of a no passing zone.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host FREE Hunter Education Classroom Courses in June and July for anyone ages 10 or older.
The traditional “Classroom Course” is a two-day course covering topics such as hunter responsibility and ethics, how firearms work and firearms safety, survival and first aid skills, firearm handling skills and hunting techniques, wildlife identification, game care, and information related to wildlife conservation and management.
The June classroom course will be offered Wednesday, June 20 through Thursday, June 21, 2018. The first day will be the classroom portion from 8am to 5pm at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Training Academy, located at 1300 Lynn Street in Thibodaux. The class will resume the following day from 8am to 11am at the LPSO Shooting Range located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland. CLICK HERE to register for this course.
The July classroom course will be offered Wednesday, July 25 through Thursday, July 26, 2018. The first day will be the classroom portion from 8am to 5pm at the Lafourche Fire District #3 Galliano Station, located at 17462 West Main Street in Galliano. The class will resume the following day from 8am to 11am at the LPSO Shooting Range located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland. CLICK HERE to register for this course.
Class size is limited. Advance registration is required. Participants must attend BOTH days of the class and pass a written and practical exam to be certified. Firearms and ammunition should NOT be brought to any of the courses, but snacks are permitted. For more information, or for assistance with online registration, call the LPSO Training Academy at (985) 387-4480 weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or email Lieutenant Nolan Smith at nolan-smith@lpso.net.
*Anyone born after September 1, 1969, who wishes to obtain a hunting license in Louisiana, must successfully complete a hunter education course. Exceptions may be granted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for active or veteran members of the United States armed services, for any P.O.S.T.-certified law enforcement officer, or for persons who are under the direct supervision of a person 18-years or older who is already licensed and has taken the approved course. Exceptions must be applied for and approved by Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced an inmate at the Lafourche Parish Detention Center was charged after he was found in possession of cocaine. Lee Toups, 30, was booked on several new charges on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Inmate Toups was refusing to comply with commands from correctional officers. Growing suspicious of his behavior, and knowing Toups has a history of possessing contraband in jail, officers conducted a search of his person. During the search, a small bag containing a white powdery substance fell to the floor. Toups picked up the bag and attempted to swallow it. He then attempted to discard the bag in the shower, but correctional officers retrieved it. Toups claimed to have found the substance in another area of the jail, but he would not disclose how he knew of its presence. He indicated he had planned to sell it to other inmates.
Following an investigation, Toups was charged on Thursday, May 10 with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Taking Contraband to a Penal Institution, and Obstruction of Justice. Toups was previously being held on charges including Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Violation of a Protective Order, and Violation of Parole. His total bond on the charges is now set at $65,000, but he is also being held for Louisiana Probation and Parole.
The investigation is continuing into how the contraband entered the jail.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced an anonymous tip led to the arrest of a Raceland man wanted for attempted murder in connection with a shooting in February. Johnny Poindexter, 34, is now in custody after a tip submitted via Crime Stoppers Bayou Region led authorities to him.
Just after 4 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2018, deputies responded to Brocato Lane in Raceland in reference to a man who was shot in the leg. Through investigation, investigators learned the victim was involved in a verbal altercation with a man, later identified as Poindexter, who accused the victim of nearly striking him while backing up his truck. During the argument, Poindexter pointed a handgun at the victim. The victim attempted to reach for the gun, but Poindexter backed away from the man and allegedly fired one round which struck the victim in the knee. The victim was treated at University Medical Center in New Orleans and released the following day. Poindexter was developed as the suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Then, earlier this week, an anonymous tip submitted to Crime Stoppers Bayou Region led authorities in Houma to Poindexter’s location, and he was taken into custody by the Houma Police Department. On Thursday, May 10, he was booked transferred to Lafourche Parish and booked into the Detention Center on charges including Attempted Second Degree Murder, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Contempt of Court. His bond is set at $310,000, and he is also being held for Louisiana Probation and Parole.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will join other local law enforcement agencies in participating in the Click-It or Ticket campaign which runs from May 14 through June 3, 2018. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Additional deputies will be assigned to saturated patrol efforts, and there will be multiple checkpoints held in conjunction with the campaign. Seat belt checkpoints will be conducted on Wednesday, May 16, Wednesday, May 23, and Thursday, May 31. Additionally, a DWI checkpoint will also be conducted on Thursday, May 31.
During the seat belt checkpoints, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as other violations such as expired inspection tags. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues, including but not limited to seat belt usage. Remember that Lafourche Parish is a “No Refusal” parish, meaning if a suspected drunk driver refuses a breathalyzer test, deputies will seek a search warrant to have that person’s blood tested.
Click It or Ticket is a seat belt enforcement campaign aimed at increasing the national seat belt usage rate. Every year during the annual Memorial Day Weekend holiday period, law enforcement agencies join forces day and night, from coast-to-coast, for an enforcement blitz that delivers a simple message: “click it or ticket.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,668 lives in 2016. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate is at 90.1 percent – but nearly 27.5 million people still don’t buckle up.
Sheriff Craig Webre thanks citizens for buckling up and asks for patience and cooperation when passing through these checkpoints and for recognizing the importance of raising awareness for safety issues.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of Kip Leblanc, 20, of Thibodaux on May 8, 2018. Shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8, deputies responded to a disturbance on Choctaw Road in reference to a woman having been struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, deputies observed bystanders providing aid to a woman in her 40s who was lying on the side of the road. Through investigation at the scene, deputies learned Leblanc had pushed the woman down and then rolled over her legs in a pickup truck as he fled the scene. She was later taken to the hospital for treatment. Deputies also learned that prior to that incident, he had punched another woman in the face, knocking her unconscious. This woman had been living with Leblanc for some time until recently. A short time later, deputies located Leblanc and he was arrested without incident. Leblanc was booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center on charges of Aggravated Second Degree Battery and Domestic Abuse Battery. He was released Tuesday evening after posting $52,500 bond, and he has been ordered to stay away from the victims.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre reported deputies saved the lives of two men over the weekend by using naloxone. These are the third and fourth instances of deputies using naloxone to save lives in the past four months.
Just after 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, deputies found a man convulsing on the shoulder of LA Highway 1 in the 14000 block in Larose. As deputies made contact with the man, he was unresponsive and his breathing was becoming shallow. Deputies observed what appeared to be recent needle puncture wounds on his arms consistent with the use of illegal narcotics. Deputies administered naloxone using an auto-injector. A short time later, the man began to take deeper breaths and become more aware of his surroundings. He was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
Then at around 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, deputies responded to a truck plaza in Gray in reference to a medical emergency. Upon arrival, the deputy found a man lying on the ground near the diesel pumps. During the encounter, deputies learned the man had taken heroin. Deputies learned the man had been talking to a friend when he began slurring his speech and collapsed. Deputies observed the man to have a very light pulse, shallow breaths, and constricted pupils. The deputy used a naloxone auto-injector. Within minutes, the man became alert and oriented, and he was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
There have now been four instances in as many months wherein deputies have used naloxone to save an individual suffering an apparent opioid overdose. The previous incidents occurred in February and March 2018.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office received naloxone injectors from the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, as well as vouchers for injectors from the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Deputies began undergoing training in December 2017, and many are now carrying agency-issued naloxone injectors to be able to provide immediate treatment in an emergency. Naloxone, which is sold under brand names such as Evzio and Narcan, is used as a temporary antidote to treat an opioid overdose in an emergency. Naloxone blocks or reverses the effects of opioid medication, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness.
