Managing Editor
By: TONY MARKS
Associate Editor
On Wednesday, an Evangeline Parish Grand Jury assembled to determine whether or not an Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Deputy would be indicted on criminal charges for an incident where the deputy shot and killed Dejuan Guillory during a routine traffic stop.
After just one day of court proceedings, the Grand Jury returned a no true bill of indictment on the deputy. The move means that the Grand Jury did not find enough evidence sufficient to return an indictment against the sheriff deputy.
The state police investigation into the deputy-involved shooting was completed last month, and it was at that time that the investigation file was turned over to the Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office, who was tasked with presenting the information to the Grand Jury.
Information being presented was from an incident that occurred on July 6, 2017 at around 4:00 a.m. in the Lanse Meg area. The shooting occurred after an altercation between Guillory and the deputy ensued during the traffic stop. During the altercation, the deputy was struck by Guillory in the head with an object.
Following the Grand Jury proceedings, it was learned that a total of six shots were fired by the deputy during the incident. One hit Guillory in the right upper arm. A second shot hit him in the left upper shoulder, and a third hit him in the left upper mid back.
According to a previous issue of The Ville Platte Gazette, the officer was responding to a report of a possible burglary and theft on Reeton School Rd. when he saw Guillory riding an ATV on the road. A female by the name of Dequincy Brown was also on the ATV with Guillory.
Look for a more in-depth story on this matter in Sunday’s edition of The Ville Platte Gazette.