VINTON, La. (KLFY) — Video footage of an August highway pursuit and shootout involving multiple law enforcement agencies was released by Louisiana State Police.
On Aug. 24, a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a Lexus sedan for an equipment violation at approximately 11:15 p.m. on LA Hwy 27 near Hackberry. During the encounter the suspect, Spencer J. Wilson, 34, of Jacksonville, Texas drove away from the traffic stop while firing a weapon at the deputy, officials said.
Wilson led a pursuit northbound on LA 27 and passed through several streets in Carlyss and Sulphur, according to authorities. Officers said as Wilson approached Island Road and LA 108, he traveled off the road striking a ditch. He proceeded to cross over LA 108 and crashed into another ditch.
Officials said Wilson then exited the vehicle and continued firing at officers, in which at least five officers returned fire as he moved to a nearby open field firing with a fully automatic weapon. Wilson was later located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene by the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office, according to authorities.
News Ten’s Rodricka Taylor Spoke with Trooper Derek Senegal of the Louisiana State Police about the August incident.
“Traffic stops are not routine. Every one of them is different. Of course, we never know who we’re going to encounter along the roadway, so we have to make sure that we are using officers’ safety of ourselves,” said Senegal. “We never know what is going to happen or what is on that driver’s mind, so that’s kind of the thing that we’re thinking about as we’re speaking with the driver. Whoever. It could be the passenger who we’re speaking with on a traffic stop.”
The full video released by LSP can be watched here.
A female passenger was discovered to also be in the Lexus, who was interviewed and released, said officials.
A Sulphur officer received a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the head during the incident and has been treated and released, said officials. No other officers were injured.
