Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
GRETNA, La. (WGNO) — A man is in the custody of the Gretna Police Department after a chase led to a crash and officer-involved shooting on Monday, April 22.
Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson said an officer tried to pull over 29-year-old Ronald Thomas on Holly Drive who allegedly drove away from the scene and led officers on a chase around 2 p.m.
Lawson said the chase ended at a dead-end on Fredericks Street.
According to the GPD, Thomas allegedly drove at two officers with his car, leading both officers to fire shots.
No one was injured by the gunfire.
“This was within the parameters of our policy. You know, the supervisor has the right to call off the chase if he feels that there is some danger. It wasn’t actually until he got to the dead end and realize he was trapped more or less, that’s when he really picked up speed and started ramming police vehicles,” said Lawson.
They said Thomas then crashed his car before trying to run away from the scene.
GPD officials said he was arrested at the intersection of O’Connor and Dupas streets.
Thomas faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon a peace officer, aggravated flight from an officer, resisting an officer, three counts of hit and run and “numerous traffic charges.”
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