OPELOUSAS, La. — Several questions surrounding a shooting that left the Opelousas Police Chief and his wife, a St. Landry Parish Sheriff's deputy, injured, remain unanswered.
The KATC newsroom received several messages concerning the incident. We took those concerns to city officials for answers as to what led to the shooting. I spent most of the day tracking down Opelousas Mayor Julius Alsandor, the Opelousas Police Department, and the Sheriff's Office.
The Opelousas Police Department sat down with KATC and declined to answer our questions. Our first question pertained to the employment of the third officer involved in the shooting. We asked if that officer was on administrative leave. We also asked if Graig "Twin" Leblanc is on medical leave. A spokesperson for the Opelousas Police Department said in a statement:
"We are not giving any statements at this time. The Sheriff's office is the lead agency investigating the matter."
We then tried to get answers from the Mayor and the Sheriff's Office. Both agencies declined to comment.
As a dedicated journalism organization, KATC is determined to get to the bottom of the matter and get answers. After each agency declined to provide us with information, our investigative team sent several requests for public records.
So far, Sheriff Bobby Guidroz told us in an interview filmed the night of the shooting that they will speak with witnesses and check for any camera footage that may have caught the incident.
It is important to point out that the Opelousas police chief position is elected, and the mayor's office doesn't have authority over the chief. An OPD spokesperson did say that Chief Leblanc plans to address the investigation later.
For more updates on this story, continue to follow us on KATC.com.
