A Denham Springs Police officer injured in a shooting Thursday afternoon was identified by police.
Denham Springs police said Corporal Shawn Kelly is still in critical condition as of late Thursday night after being taken to the hospital following the shooting off I-12.
Denham Springs police responded to a call at Spring Park Plaza Thursday just after 4 p.m. about an argument between a man and a woman in the parking lot outside Petco, according to law enforcement officials.
Once officers arrived, 30-year-old Justin Roberts reportedly began to fire at them, striking Kelly multiple times.
Roberts fled the scene toward Highway 190 but was stopped soon after by Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, who shot and injured him. Both him and the officer were in critical condition and taken to a local hospital.
Roberts died from his injuries in the hospital Thursday night.
Agents with Denham Springs police and LPSO, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisiana State Police and others, investigated the scene into the night as thunderstorms rolled across the town.
It was a solemn evening for the Livingston Parish officials following the shooting — at least 30 officers huddled together in prayer at the crime scene, teary-eyed and hands in the air as they hoped for the officer’s recovery.
Denham Springs police planned a blood drive for Kelly at Our Lady of the Lake hospital on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge at 8 a.m. Friday morning.
Denham Springs Chief Rodney Walker (right) raises his hand in prayer as officers from several departments gather following the shooting of an officer at the Springs Park Plaza on Thursday, May 11, 2023 in Denham Springs, Louisiana.
At a Livingston Parish Council meeting that night, District 4 Councilman John Wascom, who represents the area of Denham Springs where the shooting took place, requested the room keep the officer in their prayers.
State Rep. Buddy Mincey, a Denham Springs Republican, asked his fellow legislators for a moment of silence for the officer as the Louisiana House of Representatives ended proceedings for the day.
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