Police Chief in Opelousas, Louisiana Surrenders, Faces Felony Charges in Shooting Incident

Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc surrendered himself to authorities on Monday afternoon, according to St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz. LeBlanc, 45, faced processing and was released on bond shortly after his surrender.

According to KLFY News 10, the charges against LeBlanc include failure to assist, obstruction of justice, and malfeasance in office, all of which are felony charges. In a related case, Officer Tyrone Abrams, 49, is also implicated and faces charges of principal to obstruction of justice and malfeasance in office. Abrams is expected to turn himself in on Wednesday.

This development follows a December 22 incident involving a shooting at the home of Savannah Butler, an Opelousas Police officer. During the incident, both Chief LeBlanc and his wife, Crystal LeBlanc, who is a captain with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, sustained gunshot wounds. The confrontation occurred outside Butler's home in Opelousas, where Crystal LeBlanc approached to speak with her husband. The situation escalated when Butler, armed with a gun, appeared at the doorway. In an attempt to disarm Butler, Chief LeBlanc was shot in the hand, and the bullet subsequently struck Crystal LeBlanc in the arm.

Investigations revealed that Butler attempted to clean the scene, an act considered as obstruction of justice. Crystal LeBlanc has also received a trespass summons for entering Butler’s property without permission. Both Crystal LeBlanc and Officer Butler have been placed on administrative leave by their respective agencies pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Butler had previously surrendered to the authorities on January 1, was processed, posted a $22,000 bond, and subsequently released.

Sheriff Guidroz expressed the difficulty of the situation, noting the challenge of executing these actions against a colleague and friend, but emphasized the importance of fulfilling official duties in such cases.

See the full story here via KLFY.