NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A North Carolina man is in custody and hospitalized, charged with murder and kidnapping in Natchitoches, after leading police on a lengthy chase through two parishes before shooting himself and crashing.
According to Natchitoches police, officers were called to the 100 block of North Melrose Avenue around 2:13 p.m. Sunday to investigate reports of shots fired in the area. Officers arrived to find 22-year-old LaDarious Scott of Winnfield suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Scott was pronounced dead at the scene by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office.
While investigators were on the scene, they learned that 24-year-old Dave Bigford of Mount Olive, North Carolina, had forced his girlfriend into a vehicle at gunpoint before officers arrived. Detectives put the word out to surrounding law enforcement agencies to look for Bigford and the vehicle he was driving.
NPD says law enforcement in Vernon Parish located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop that led to a lengthy vehicle chase. During the vehicle pursuit, Scott’s girlfriend was able to jump free from the vehicle in Alexandria.
Bigford eventually crashed his vehicle into a ditch in Rapides Parish. Police found him in the ditch with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital.
Dave Bigford is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.
The Natchitoches Police Department says they will release more details as they become available.
Anyone who would like to report suspicious activity is asked to contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101. Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Davanta Stevenson at (318) 357-3817.
How to report an anonymous tip via Natchitoches Crime Stoppers: You can also report a tip anonymously by downloading the P3 Tips app on your smartphone or by calling Natchitoches Crime Stoppers at (318) 238-2388.
NPS says all tips remain confidential, and the caller can receive a cash reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest of an offender.