Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating an armed robbery in which shots were fired. The incident occurred in Raceland on Monday evening.
At around 8:20 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2020, deputies and detectives responded to a call of shots fired in the area of Buford Street in Raceland. Investigators learned a man was driving an SUV in the area when an unknown white male subject entered the vehicle and reportedly robbed the man at gunpoint. During the incident, the driver exited the vehicle and began running away. As he ran, the unknown subject fired several rounds toward the victim. None of the rounds struck the driver, and no other injuries were reported.
The unknown white male subject was described as being short and bald with many tattoos. He was also reportedly carrying a silver handgun with an extended magazine.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced that the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has been re-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) and attained new accreditations for the Training Academy and Communications. The three accreditations earned LPSO the Tri-Arc status, a distinction held by fewer than 30 agencies in the U.S. and Mexico combined.
The announcement of the accreditations came Thursday, July 30, 2020 during CALEA’s annual conference which is being held virtually this year due to COVID-19.
“As law enforcement standards, practices and actions continue to be questioned and challenged throughout the world, we continue to subject ourselves to an even higher level of scrutiny,” said Sheriff Webre. “There are ongoing debates about body cameras and policies, but we believe accreditation provides the ultimate level of accountability and transparency. CALEA ensures we not only have fair and legal policies in place, and just as importantly, that those policies are practiced. This is just another way in which we ensure the highest levels of professional service to the people of Lafourche Parish.”
This marks the seventh time the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has been accredited by CALEA. The agency was initially accredited in 2000 and has been re-accredited six consecutive times. LPSO must meet more than 400 standards in order to gain accredited status for the agency which now lasts for a period of four years. During that time, the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. The agency also submits proofs that are reviewed by CALEA compliance personnel to ensure policies are indeed being followed.
Realizing the training and communications functions of any agency come with their own unique challenges, CALEA offers separate accreditation programs for both. For the first time, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office participated in a simultaneous review of all three programs when assessors visited the parish in December 2019. While here, the four Assessors interviewed more than 80 employees, community leaders, first responders and other leaders of other local and state agencies to assess the impact the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has on the community.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy was first certified by the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council in April 1986 and has maintained its status ever since. To achieve its accreditation, the academy had to meet 155 standards. The academy trains officers from agencies throughout the state and was recognized during the accreditation review for standout services like the LPSO Shooting Range, reserve deputy program, and crisis intervention training.
The men and women of the Communications Section answer thousands of calls for service each year. The Communications Section had to meet compliance with 212 standards. The section was lauded for its operations, including dispatching for various police and fire departments across the parish and community outreach via the Bayou Children’s Museum. There, children are taught how to call for help and how to interact with first responders.
In achieving accreditation in all three areas, CALEA honored the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office with the Tri-Arc award. The award name reflects the three separate programs and symbolizes the synergistic power and light created as a result of an unusual achievement. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office becomes one of fewer than 30 agencies in the United States and Mexico to achieve Tri-Arc status.
As announced in May, Sheriff Webre was also honored by CALEA with the Egon Bittner Award during the virtual conference. The award is presented to Chief Executive Officers who have commanded a CALEA Accredited agency for fifteen or more continuous years. Dr. Egon Bittner, himself, greatly contributed to CALEA’s early development in 1979-80, and he served as a CALEA Commissioner from 1981 through 1988. He was a professor of Sociology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, with a national standing on law enforcement issues. He retired from Brandeis in 1991 and died in 2011.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Shooting Range facility will reopen this week. The range facility, which is located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland, will resume its normal operating schedule beginning Wednesday, July 29 when it opens to members only. The range will reopen to the public on Thursday, July 30. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
As per its normal operating schedule, the range is open to members only on Wednesdays, and it is open to the general public on Thursday through Sunday. The range is closed to members and the public on Mondays and Tuesday to allow for law enforcement training. Cost to use the range is $10 per person per day. Annual range membership is available for purchase at the range office for $100.
All individuals entering the range office must wear a mask or face covering. Pistol ranges will be limited to allow for proper physical distancing, and therefore, masks are not required on the shooting range itself. Masks are also not required on the 100-yard and 200-yard rifle ranges where existing physical barriers ensure proper spacing.
The LPSO Shooting Range facility has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The range was the site of a free drive-through testing site for COVID-19 in April and May.
On average, more than 11,000 people utilize the shooting range each year. Personnel from more than 30 agencies use the range for training including local, state, and federal military agencies, as well as private security companies. The facility is also used for public education courses and academy training.
Children ages 10 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian (over 21). Targets and target backs are available. Ammunition is sold to Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employees ONLY.
For more information regarding the LPSO Shooting Range, please contact the range office at (985) 438-7873 or email Sergeant Danny Toups at danny-toups@lpso.net.
UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Bernard Gaudet of Choctaw, Louisiana. The investigation is continuing.
ORIGINAL RELEASE:
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a man has died following an overnight shooting in Thibodaux. There is no suspect in custody at this time.
At 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2020, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call about a shooting in the 300 block of Carol Street in Thibodaux. Upon arrival, deputies found a male victim in his 30s sitting in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into this incident is continuing. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced three people have been arrested and one is being sought in an ongoing investigation of an aggravated burglary which occurred on Wednesday in Galliano. Investigators have arrested Carles Sudduth, 21, Ramon Ramos, 20, and Magaly Corona, 18, all of Texas. A warrant has also been issued for the arrest of Carles Sudduth’s uncle, Christian Sudduth, 39, of Golden Meadow.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m. on July 22, 2020, deputies responded to a disturbance at a residence on West 215th Street wherein shots were fired. Deputies learned Christian Sudduth had walked up to the residence earlier in the day brandishing a gun and demanded money. When the residents refused, he left claiming he would return with more people and firearms. A short time later, the residents heard someone banging at the door and called 911. One of the residents was outside and was punched by another armed man, later identified as Carles Sudduth. Moments later, shots were fired inside the residence. No one was injured in the shooting.
On Thursday, July 23, investigators located Carles Sudduth in the parking lot at a Cut Off store, and he was detained along with Ramos and Corona who were with him at the time. Two firearms which match the description of those used in the incident were also found inside the vehicle.
Through investigation, detectives learned Ramos, Corona, and the Sudduths were all present at the time of the incident. Ramos and Corona allegedly remained inside a vehicle while the Sudduths were committing the burglary.
All three were arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. Carles Sudduth was charged with Aggravated Burglary, and his bail is set at $100,000. Ramos and Corona were each charged as an Accessory to Aggravated Burglary, and bail is set at $25,000 each.
Meanwhile, detectives have obtained a warrant for Christian Sudduth for Aggravated Burglary. Anyone with any knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
From left to right: Capt. Lafate Day, Lt. John Champagne and Lt. Michael Beck Jr.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced three Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office supervisors have graduated with honors from the ninth session of the National Command and Staff College. Captain Lafate Day, Lieutenant John Champagne, and Lieutenant Michael Beck Jr. were among 42 law enforcement commanders from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas who completed the course.
A graduation ceremony was held in Luling, Louisiana, on July 17, 2020. During the ceremony, Captain Day was presented the President’s Award, given to the individual who demonstrates leader and learner responsibility and accountability early in the program and remains consistent throughout, integrating personal and professional leadership and management experiences to support concepts learned.
Lieutenant Champagne and Lieutenant Beck were part of Team Lion which received the Capstone Research Award. The students were divided into several teams to conduct their capstone research for the course. This award is given to the team which exhibits a well-defined, collaborative effort with a focus on written and oral presentation skills and several other elements. Team Lion chose “officer wellness” as their capstone research project, focusing on several factors of physical and mental health and the need for law enforcement agencies nationwide to promote health and wellness with officers. Due to the team’s outstanding work, their findings will be published for agencies to review.
“I’m extremely proud of these three individuals,” said Sheriff Webre. “Not only did they submit to several weeks of classes, studies, and lectures, they did so in addition to their normal duties and amidst a pandemic. On top of that, they distinguished themselves among their classmates, furthering the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office role as a national leader in law enforcement. Now they will apply what they have learned to become better leaders to serve our community.”
The National Command & Staff College was founded in 2010 by the International Academy of Public Safety, Inc. in collaboration with the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Tactical Officers Association. The comprehensive course, which was expanded to 14 weeks for this session, focuses on topics such as leadership theories and practices, social media, recruitment, foresight, policing issues, ethics, and diversity. The course is designed to produce leaders to promote community safety, build mutual trust, maximize officer safety and wellness, foster star performance, and reduce liability and risks. Students read several books, participate in hundreds of hours of course lectures, and write numerous essays each with case studies, discussion questions and classroom simulations.
LPSO Chief Deputy Roy Gros, Major Cortrell Davis (Correctional Complex Warden), and Lieutenant Benjamin Dempster (Investigations Supervisor) all previously graduated from the National Command and Staff College in prior years.
For more information on the National Command and Staff College, go to www.CommandCollege.org.
Lt. Michael Beck Jr.Lt. John ChampagneCaptain Lafate DaySession 9 Class Photo
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre recently announced the promotions of two employees to administer to the corrections regional reentry program based in Lafourche Parish. Captain Karla Beck has been promoted to the Director of Programming and Reentry for the Southeast Central Regional Reentry Program, as well as Assistant Warden of the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex. Correctional Officer Danielle Finister has been promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Programming and Reentry.
Louisiana has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the United States, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections has worked to reduce this rate for more than 15 years. Approximately 50 percent of incarcerated individuals are assigned to state correctional facilities while the other half are assigned to local-level facilities such as the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex and Transitional Work Program. Throughout their incarceration, the objective is to gradually transition each individual back into society as a productive citizen in an effort to reduce recidivism.
The Southeast Central Regional Reentry Program, which is based in Lafourche Parish, prepares individuals for reentry within a seven-parish region including Assumption, Ascension, Lafourche St. James, St. John, St. Charles, and Terrebonne. The program provides case management, counseling, and education to meet each individual’s needs to ensure a productive return to society.
“Public safety is my number one goal when it comes to preparing an individual for community reentry,” Captain Beck said. “We hope to engage the community in any way that we can to reduce their risk of recidivism by working on sustainable employment, affordable housing, community supervision and enhanced human service delivery. I believe that it takes a village to achieve success, and I am fully dedicated to the success of this program.”
Captain Beck has a doctorate in criminal justice management and holds professional licenses in counseling and family therapy. She has an extensive background in the development of social service programs with a focus on victim advocacy and community service and security. Officer Finister, who will serve as Beck’s assistant director, has 14 years of experience in corrections. She also has an associate’s degree and was already part of the reentry team at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex where she gained experience in data management and program facilitation.
For more information about the Southeast Central Regional Reentry Program, or to submit ideas for community involvement, please contact Captain Beck at karla-beck@lpso.net.
Captain Karla BeckCorrectional Officer Danielle Finister
Neal Swanner presents the Swanner Scholarship award to Caleb Jungina.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced Central Lafourche High School graduate Caleb Jungina has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Norman Swanner Foundation Scholarship award for Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employees and family. He is the stepson of Lieutenant Benjamin Dempster, a supervisor in the Investigations Division. Neal Swanner presented Jungina with his award on July 21, 2020, on behalf of the Norman Swanner Foundation.
Jungina received the $500 scholarship to assist him with expenses as he plans to attend L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College. He plans to enroll in the electrician program to become a certified, licensed electrician.
The Norman Swanner Foundation awards a $500 scholarship annually to one Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employee or immediate family member who plans to enroll in the fall as a full-time student at Nicholls State University or L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College. The scholarship is awarded as a gift, not a loan, to defray the cost of tuition and related expenses in higher education. An independent board of review selects the winner of the scholarship.
The Norman Swanner Foundation is a non-profit organization created in memory of Norman Swanner, a Thibodaux resident who passed away in 2006. Swanner was a City Councilman at the time of his death. Swanner’s daughter, Jamie Beth Swanner, also passed away in 2012. The Foundation funds several awards and scholarships for students at Nicholls State University and several high schools throughout the region.
Due to COVID-19, the scholarship application deadline was pushed back, resulting in a delay in the review process and notification to the recipient.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of Camoran Leblanc, 18, of Cut Off on July 16, 2020. Earlier this week, juvenile detectives opened an investigation after learning of allegations that Leblanc had sex with two 13-year-old girls. Following forensic interviews with the alleged victims, detectives questioned Leblanc. During questioning he admitted to having sex with one of the girls. Due to the age difference being greater than four years, Leblanc was arrested for two counts of Felony Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile and transported to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux where he was booked accordingly. Bail is set at $10,000.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced Thibodaux High School graduate Adler Verdin has been awarded the 2020 Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association Scholarship for Lafourche Parish. Verdin will receive the $500 scholarship to assist him with expenses as he plans to attend Nicholls State University and major in computer information systems and accounting. On his application, Verdin indicated plans to attain a Master’s Degree in accounting and hopes to work at either an accounting firm or software development company. He also hopes to one day start his own company.
Sheriff Webre congratulated Verdin on receiving the scholarship. “Mr. Verdin is an accomplished young man having garnered many awards and honors during his high school years,” said Sheriff Webre. “I wish him good luck as he moves on to the next chapter in his life and begins to pursue his dreams.”
The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Educational Scholarship Program awards $500 to graduating high school students in parishes where the sheriffs are members of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary Membership Program. Funding for this scholarship is made possible through the generous support of Lafourche Parish’s Honorary Members. The goal of the program is to provide assistance to worthy Louisiana students in furthering their education and training with resources made available through the program.
To be eligible for the LSA scholarship, each applicant must be a Lafourche Parish resident and a high school senior planning to enroll as a full-time student at Nicholls State University or L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College. The scholarship is awarded as a gift, not a loan, to defray the rising costs of tuition and related expenses in higher education. An independent board of review selects the winner of the scholarship.
Due to COVID-19, the scholarship application deadline was pushed back to May 15, 2020. This resulted in a delay in the review process and notification to the recipient.
