Update: State police charged two Iberia Parish men in the fatal crash involving Jeanerette Police Officer Juandre Gilliam (22).
The owner of the vehicle, Clint Rogers (57) of Jeanerette, was questioned and later arrested for criminal mischief. Iberia Parish deputies and Jeanerette marshals also identified a 16-year-old juvenile and Antre Joseph (21) of New Iberia as being involved in the incident. Joseph was arrested for manslaughter and aggravated flight from an officer. Both Joseph and Rogers were transported to the Iberia Parish Jail and booked.
State police received a call of an overturned vehicle on St. Peters Road South of LA 182 in St. Mary Parish. The vehicle which state police later found out was a police patrol car.
Major Ryan Turner with Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office says, “At approximately 4:30 this morning we did apprehend a suspect who was driving the vehicle that the officer was in pursuit in at the time of the crash.”
Troopers say the suspect vehicle was located in a field near the crash scene and the vehicle was left abandoned.
The flag flew at half-staff on Wednesday, in honor of Officer Jaundre Gilliam, who will no longer be at the Jeanerette Police Department to protect and serve the people of Jeanerette.
Around 10:30 Tuesday night, Officer Jaundre Gilliam (22) alerted dispatch at the Jeanerette Police Department that he was in pursuit of a vehicle.
Louisiana State Police Trooper Brooks David says, “Unfortunately the Jeanerette police officer lost control of his vehicle and ran off the left side of the roadway and flipped his vehicle.”
Officer Gilliam was transported to Iberia Medical Center where he died as a result of his injuries.
Trooper David delivered a statement which shortly after the Iberia Sheriffs were able to locate the vehicle. The statement read: “The sheriff’s department in Iberia Parish is taking over the criminal side of the investigation and is actively at this time looking for the vehicle that was involved in the pursuit and the person that was driving that vehicle.”
Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office Major Ryan Turner says, “At approximately 4:30 this morning we did apprehend a suspect who was driving the vehicle that the officer was in pursuit in at the time of the crash.
Antre Joseph (21) was taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by state police at the Iberia sheriff’s headquarters.
Major Turner tells News 10 that a juvenile was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash and authorities are not yet sure what charges will follow.
Antre-T.-Joseph