A St. Tammany Parish Sheriff was shot in the back early this morning and the suspect is 13 years old. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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A New Orleans lawmaker tells a Senate Committee he’s received a death threat over his legislation to remove Robert E Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day as official holidays…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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A St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputy was shot this morning and the suspect is 13-years old. In an interview with WWL TV, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith says Deputy Kenneth Doby was on patrol when he answered a call of a suspected burglary around 3 this morning.
Smith says the incident happened in the Waldheim community near Backroads Mercantile, a grocery store that was burglarized. Doby was taken to Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington for treatment.
Before Doby was transported to the hospital the suspect was apprehended. Smith says the incident remains under investigation but in the meantime, they are thankful Doby is expected to recover from his injuries.
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New Orleans Representative Matthew Williard says he’s receiving death threats over his legislation to remove Robert E Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day as legal holidays in Louisiana. Willard says authorities are investigating a voice mail his office received…
Williard made that statement minutes before a Senate committee approved his legislation, sending the House-backed measure to the Senate floor. Minden Senator Robert Mills says these Confederate holidays are part of the country’s history
But Williard says the two holidays, Robert E Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day, honor those who fought to maintain slavery in the United States….
The measure now heads to the Senate floor.
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Just after midnight, Monroe Police responded to the Swanson Correctional Center for Youth in reference to a disturbance. Sgt Mike Fendall with Monroe PD says a fight broke out among several inmates and they barricaded doors preventing officers from entering.
Fendall says with the assistance of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office they were able to gain control of the dorm and seven inmates were taken into custody. Three of the inmates were over the age of 18.
The four other juveniles remain at the Swanson facility with charges pending.
There were no reports of injuries as a result of the incident, however, Fendall says the youth facility was heavily damaged.
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Multiple bills aimed at reducing criminal penalties for marijuana possession have advanced to the full Senate. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover sponsored most of the measures including House Bill 774, which would allow those previously convicted of possession to expunge their records six months after conviction, instead of five years as currently written.
Glover also introduced HB 1028, which would decriminalize the possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia, similar to the legislation that eliminated the possibility of jail time for low-level possession of cannabis last year.
Shonda Broome, a medical professional who had her career negatively impacted by a positive test for marijuana during pre-employment screening, spoke on behalf of HB 774. She says that one result has followed her from job to job and that the stigma impacts more than just those with criminal convictions.