HARVEY, La. (WGNO) — The man accused in the death of a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detective in 2016 has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty in court on Wednesday, April 24.
27-year-old Jerman Neveaux appeared before a judge and entered a guilty plea to charges of second-degree murder in exchange for a possible first-degree murder conviction and death sentence.
According to court documents, in June 2016 JPSO Detective David Michel Jr. was driving down Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey to meet fellow officers for lunch when he reportedly spotted then 19-year-old Neveaux “suspiciously” following a man walking down the street.
Documents note Michel stopped Neveaux at the corner of Manhattan Boulevard and Ascot Road where a fight ensued between the two. During the fight, Neveaux pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and shot Michel three times.
Michel was then heard calling gout over the police radio “I’m shot,” according to court documents.
Michel died at a hospital later that day.
Further investigation into Neveaux revealed that in the weeks leading up to the shooting, he reportedly pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of illegal possession of stolen things in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court after being found with a stolen pistol.
He received probation for the previous conviction.
“Evidence would have been presented during the trial that would have allowed the jury to conclude that Neveaux was going to use that pistol to commit an armed robbery of a pedestrian when he encountered Detective Michel,” according to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Neveaux’s guilty plea earned him a reduced sentence of life without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
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