The number of officers killed in the line of duty in Louisiana and around the country in 2017 dropped from the previous year. Kelley Ray has more.
______________________________________
Monday’s bowl game between LSU and Notre Dame will reportedly be offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s last with the Tigers, Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (31) “Matt Doyle Reporting.”
________________________________________________________
The number of officers killed in the line of duty in Louisiana and around the country in 2017 dropped from 2016. Louisiana saw five killed this year, while nine were killed last year. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund President and CEO Craig Floyd says even though 124 have died nationwide, it’s a number that is trending lower across the country and in Louisiana…
Cut 3 (11) “fatalities nationwide.”
Floyd credits the decrease in fatalities to better communication between police and citizens and more transparency…
Cut 4 (12) “and professionally.”
Floyd says since police are carrying fewer lethal weapons and are better equipped and trained, it helps increase safety of officers and citizens…
________________________________________________________
The Citrus Bowl will reportedly be Matt Canada’s last game with the Tigers after an inconsistent first year leading LSU’s offense under head coach Ed Orgeron. Glen Guilbeau, who covers LSU for the USA Today Network, says Canada and Orgeron butt heads throughout the year…
Canada got off to a rough start at LSU, only scoring seven points in a blow out loss against Mississippi State early in the year. The Tigers were also upset by Troy. Guilbeau says Orgeron wasn’t a fan of Canada’s offense that featured pre snap shifts and motion…
Guilbeau says Canada is the highest paid offensive coordinator in the country, and if Monday is Canada’s last game at LSU, the university still owes him the remaining two years of his…
It’s reported tight ends coach Steve Ensminger will replace Canada as offensive coordinator.
_______________________________________
A head-on crash kills one and leaves a second person in critical condition in DeSoto Parish near Ajax. Louisiana State Police Master Trooper Glenn Younger says following the collision of the vehicles on Louisiana-174 last night, one of the vehicles burst into flames and troopers are trying to figure out why…
The yet unidentified driver of the Mercury Grand Marquis that burst into flames was killed while the driver of the Honda Accord they hit, identified as 58-year-old Alice P. Thomas of Pelican, is in critical condition at an area hospital. With the condition of the vehicles, Younger says they don’t know if alcohol played a factor…
A properly restrained juvenile in the Thomas’ vehicle sustained minor injuries.
Police are continuing to investigate a fight between juveniles in St. James Parish at a Christmas Eve bonfire celebration on the Mississippi River Levee in Gramercy. Sheriff Willy Martin Jr. says, two white males and two black males got in a fight injuring an unidentified 15-year-old and 17-year-old Shannon Dumas Jr. He says it’s been slow to reconstruct what happened since police didn’t interview anyone at the scene…
There have been allegations on social media that the incident was racially motivated. Martin says deputies are looking at the accusation very closely since the victim felt the fight had nothing to do with race…
Cut 12 (10) “racially motivated.”
Martin says most of those who were involved are being interviewed now, including some adults, with some arrests forthcoming…
_________________________________________
A Christmas eve fatal shooting initially ruled an accident, is now claissified as a homicide. Kenner police charged 29-year-old Dominque Wix with manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Akoya Skeith. Initially, Wix told officers Skeith had accidentally fired the weapon while holding it, but Lieutenant Brian McGregor says the autopsy indicated that the death was not accidental.
After a second interview McGregor says Wix then told officers that she discharged the gun.
McGregor says Wix told the police that the shooting was not the result of an argument or altercation, and that she sought aid for Skeith after the shooting.
McGregor says Kenner PD has been called out to the home twice previously for domestic disputes.