MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On Saturday, February 25, 2023, a police officer was serving as security at the Renaissance Parade around 12:30 PM. During the parade, the officer tried to park his vehicle, but when he turned left into a parking lot, a Black male, Travis Henry, and a woman stood in front of the officer’s vehicle, preventing him from moving.
The officer engaged his emergency lights as a signal for the subjects to move out of the way. Allegedly, Henry became angry and looked into the officer’s vehicle, used vulgar language, and claimed that the officer almost hit them.
According to authorities, Henry walked towards a Nissan Maxima and commanded the female subject to open the trunk of the vehicle. Henry continued to use inappropriate language towards the officer and allegedly told him he was grabbing a weapon from his trunk.
The officer instantly activated his emergency lights and radioed for assistance from other officers. The officer exited the vehicle, which alarmed Henry, and walked to the passenger side of the vehicle.
More officers arrived on the scene to help take Henry into custody; he was advised of his Miranda rights and questioned. According to authorities, Henry admitted to keeping a firearm in the trunk of the mentioned vehicle. Officers discovered a fully loaded Black 9mm Hi Point handgun in the vehicle’s trunk.
The officer on duty at the parade also stated that he felt a great deal of fear for his life and safety during this incident. Additionally, at the time of the incident, the parade was still in progress with roughly 1,000 parade-goers present.
Investigation revealed that Henry is a previously convicted felon after he pleaded guilty in 2022 to Aggravated Assault with a Firearm and is currently on probation until 2024. Along with his conviction, there is an active Protective Order against him.
In an interview at the Ouachita Correctional Center, Henry confessed to using the firearm prior to the encounter at the parade and was aware that it was in the trunk of the vehicle. Henry received the following charges:
- Aggravated Assault upon a Peace Officer
- Violation of Protective Order
- Illegal Carrying of a Firearm at a Parade with any Firearm used in the Commission of a Crime of Violence
- Possession of Firearm or Carrying Concealed Weapon by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies
