Before he shot an officer, family says he followed teen — and another officer criticized her

After a teenager’s mother said online that a man pursued her daughter in a road rage incident shortly before he shot a Denham Springs Police officer, she says a Baton Rouge police officer messaged her family saying they could have stopped the shooting.

BRPD says they’re investigating the incident, and the teen’s mom says Chief Murphy Paul called personally to apologize. 

Charley Alaina, 17, said the confrontation happened Thursday, after her last day of high school. She said she stopped for a snack from a fast food restaurant, then turned left on Rushing Road, with plenty of space between herself and another driver heading the same way.

But the driver seemed to take it personally. 

“He passed me up really fast, in a school zone, got in front of me and began brake-checking me,” Alaina said.

The driver then began to follow her as she turned onto La. 16 and headed to her home, she said.

“Everything in me said to get in the garage and go home” where her mother was, Alaina said.

“We have a long driveway,” she said. “I opened the garage door, and I saw him pull into the driveway.”

Alaina said she closed the garage door and made sure the house door behind her was locked. When she glimpsed outside, the man was gone. 

Less than an hour later, she and her family saw news reports about Justin Roberts, who police say critically wounded Cpl. Shawn Kelly in the parking lot of a shopping center before he was fatally shot by Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputies. The family recognized the car in the news as the one they had seen in their driveway on their home security system.

Law enforcement officials have said they are looking into whether the two incidents are connected. 

Kim Domangue, Alaina’s mother, said she posted about the confrontation on Facebook “as a learning lesson for young drivers, that, if possible, they not go home if a road-rage driver is following them.”

But the next morning, Domangue said she saw a surprising message on her Facebook page from Baton Rouge police officer Matthew Hurley.

“Tell your friend Charley I hope she feels bad because she could have prevented the officer from getting shot if she would have reported the vehicle,” the message said, according to screenshots Domangue provided.

About an hour later, the officer sent another message: “I’m sorry, but that was not what I meant to say, it was a typo and do not wish anything on that young girl. None of it is her fault …”

Charley’s family reported Hurley to the Baton Rouge Police Internal Affairs. Police spokesperson Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said Tuesday that an investigation of the incident is underway. 

“I know good cops, and I know bad cops,” Domangue said. “That’s a bad cop.”

Domangue said Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul called her Tuesday morning to apologize.

“He was very apologetic. He let me know that the investigative team is going to be taking a deep look into the incident,” she said, adding that she felt better after speaking with the chief. 

“Chief Paul took it very seriously,” she said.