Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Dispatch-Tioga Substation received a call on May 13 at 10:40 am in reference to a male subject walking on Dupree Street off of Shreveport Highway in Tioga, acting very erratic and possibly armed with a hand gun.
Patrol Deputies arrived at the scene attempting to locate the subject and located him one street over on the porch of a residence on Netherlin Drive with two other people.
Deputies made contact with the three subjects on the porch where they quickly learned that the male subject was armed with a handgun and the other two subjects lived at the residence and did not know him.
As deputies began talking to the subject about getting him some help and to put the handgun down, other deputies entered the residence through the back door and removed the other two occupants out of harms way from the residence.
After approximately 40 minutes of negotiations, when the subject became aggressive and was threatening to harm himself, the decision was made to deploy less lethal measures in an attempt to take him into custody.
An RPSO SWAT Deputy deployed the less lethal measures which were unsuccessful at which time the subject discharged the handgun, striking himself in the head.
RPSO SWAT medics were on scene and immediately responded to render life saving measures. Acadian Ambulance also responded and transported the subject to a local hospital. It was later learned that the subject died from the self inflicted gunshot wound, toxicology and autopsy results pending.
Sheriff’s Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the seen to conduct their investigation. Detective’s were also interviewing other residents of the neighborhood.
Sheriff’s Detectives say this is an ongoing investigation. RPSO will not be releasing the name of the deceased due to the nature of the incident.