A Louisiana sheriff’s detective was shot and killed while making a pedestrian stop in Jefferson Parish Wednesday, and a suspect is in custody, authorities said.
The shooting took place in Harvey, a community south of New Orleans, at around 12:20 p.m., Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Col. John Fortunato said.
Detective David F. Michel Jr. had stopped 19-year-old Jerman Neveaux and put him against a police car when Neveaux allegedly spun around, pulled out a revolver and reached over the officer and shot him once in the back, Sheriff Newell Normand said.
Neveaux then allegedly fired twice more at Michel at point-blank range as the officer fell, hitting him twice in the back, Normand said. The sheriff called it "a cold-blooded murder."
Michel, assigned to the street crimes unit, was patrolling in what the sheriff’s office described as a high crime area when he was killed.
Norman said Michel made the stop because Neveaux appeared to be following another man who appeared nervous. Neveaux was on probation and admitted to the killing after being arrested, Norman said.
"One of the statements that he made — in his demented way at the justification — is that he knew he was on probation and he didn't want to go to jail for possession of a weapon," Normand said.
"So he killed a deputy," Normand said. "What do you say about that?"
Neveaux doesn't have much of a criminal history, Norman said. He was arrested for possession of a firearm in February, pleaded guilty earlier this month and was placed on probation, Norman said.
Michel had been with the sheriff’s office since 2007. "I wish I had a thousand of him," Norman said. "He was a great officer."
