John Paul Devillier charged with attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer

John Paul Devillier has been charged with attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer in connection with Thursday’s apparent ambush shooting of a St. Charles Parish deputy on U.S. Highway 90 in Paradis.

Devillier, 58, a native of St. Charles Parish, was also charged with two counts of battery of a peace officer and resisting an officer by force the same day he apparently shot Cpl. Burt Hazeltine, who was directing traffic in a school zone around 8:50 a.m. near J.B. Martin School.

Devillier’s bond was set at $1 million by Judge Emile St. Pierre in the 29th Judicial District Court Friday (April 17). His next court date is May 19. St. Pierre referred the case to the indigent defender board.

The Gulfport, Miss., man was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado truck westbound on the highway when he attempted to turn left on Louisiana Street. He pulled into a nearby Time Saver parking lot and began to argue with Hazeltine, according to the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office.“Devillier was upset because the deputy did not stop the traffic allowing him to turn,” Sheriff Greg Champagne said.

After arguing with Hazeltine, he left the parking lot and went to his father’s house a few blocks away for a few minutes where he called the Sheriff’s Office and told the chief deputy that he was an NCIS agent. He demanded the sheriff come to the parking lot and the deputy hung up.

Devillier then summoned Hazeltine to his vehicle and, as the deputy approached, observed a weapon on the dashboard of the man’s truck.

“Hazeltine immediately drew his service weapon and demanded he show his hands, at which time, the subject held the gun upside down out of the window while at the same time fired several shots at the deputy with a second gun in his right hand through the windshield,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. “

“The guy just opened fire and hit the deputy multiple times,” Capt. Pat Yoes, Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.

Cpl. Hazeltine was able to return fire striking the subject’s vehicle.”Although struck by three bullets – one in the eye, elbow and chest – the deputy was still able to radio in for assistance. The sheriff said two good Samaritans helped pull him behind a vehicle.

Hazeltine was reportedly alert and talking at the scene when he was transported to University Hospital in New Orleans. He is reported in stable, but guarded condition.Deputies who arrived at the scene confronted Devillier still sitting in the truck and arrested him.

Witnesses reported hearing two rounds of shots (four to five shots per round) and ran outside a nearby Dollar General in time to see deputies apprehend the man, falling into a roadside ditch and then exiting with Devillier in cuffs.

Denise Rocco, of Luling, said she was shopping in the store in Paradis when “I heard pops. I heard shots.”

Rocco said she, along with other store employees and customers, rushed outside the store when they witnessed sheriff’s deputies rush to a silver truck parked in the Time Saver parking lot near the school zone.

She saw a chaotic scene with people “ducking and dodging” as they tried to determine the source of the gun fire.”I heard a woman screaming ‘an officer is bleeding,'”

Rocco said as she saw deputies arrive at the scene. “They showed up and apprehended the man … yanked him out of his truck.”

Rocco pointed out a silver truck with a black passenger window parked in the Time Saver parking lot as the man’s vehicle.

Terence Brashears, of New Orleans, a Coca-Cola delivery man, also was in the Dollar General when he heard two rounds of pops, four to five per round and also ran outside the store.

Brashears also witnessed several deputies rushing to the silver truck and pull the driver out. They wrestled the man to the ground and landed in a ditch where they apprehended and cuffed him.

 

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